Pope Francis updates: Pope Francis' coffin has been closed
The funeral for Pope Francis will be held on Saturday, the Vatican said.
Pope Francis, whose time as head of the Catholic Church was noted for humility and outreach efforts to people of disparate backgrounds and faiths, has died at 88, the Vatican said.
The pontiff's funeral is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, according to the Vatican. Francis' death on Monday came after a series of worsening health problems, including a diagnosis of double pneumonia that put him in the hospital for more than a month earlier this year.
Watch ABC News live coverage of the funeral for Pope Francis on Saturday starting at 3:30 a.m. ET on ABC stations and streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
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Biden on Pope Francis: 'I am better for having known him'
Former President Joe Biden in a statement praised Pope Francis’ work and advocacy on issues such as poverty and climate.
"He promoted equity and an end to poverty and suffering across the globe. And above all, he was a Pope for everyone," Biden said.
Biden, a devout Catholic, in January awarded Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, which is the highest civilian honor a president can award.
Pope Francis "will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time and I am better for having known him," Biden said.
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim
Pope Francis 'made us want to be better people,' Obama says
Former President Barack Obama called Pope Francis "the rare leader who made us want to be better people."
"In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound -- embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners -- he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another," Obama said in a statement on Monday.
"Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world -- Catholic and non-Catholic alike -- who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope’s example," Obama said.
Karoline Leavitt: 'A solemn day for Catholics around the world'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Fox News that today is "a solemn day for Catholics around the world."
Pope Francis' death comes one day after his brief audience with Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican on Easter Sunday.
Leavitt said Vance’s team told her "how grateful they were for the opportunity to have met with the Pope."
"He touched millions of lives throughout his tenure as the head of the Catholic Church," she said, adding, "we are praying for all those who loved the Pope and believed in him."
It's not yet clear whether President Donald Trump would travel for the services honoring the life of Pope Francis.
"No travel plans at this time -- doesn't mean it's not happening. I just don't have anything to share," Leavitt told ABC News.
-ABC News’ Justin Ryan Gomez
Eiffel Tower lights to be switched off in pope’s honor
The lights on the Eiffel Tower will be switched off on Monday night in a tribute to Pope Francis, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said in a social media post.
The mayor also suggested that a place in Paris should be named in Francis’ honor.
-ABC News’ Tom Soufi Burridge