Pope Francis has expressed his “sadness” at the news of the death of former US President Jimmy Carter and has offered his “heartfelt condolences” and prayers for those mourning his death, which occurred on Sunday, December 29, 2024 at the age of 100.
In a telegram signed by the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Holy See, Pietro Parolin, Francis has recorded Carter’s “firm commitment, motivated by a profound Christian faith, to the cause of reconciliation and peace among peoples, the defense of the right to life and the dignity of the people.” of human rights and the welfare of the poor and needy,” and entrusts him to the infinite mercy of God, Vatican News reported.
In 1979, Carter became the first American president to invite a Pope to the White House, when he received John Paul II in the United States. After their meeting, the Holy Father said: “I am honored to have had, thanks to your kind invitation, the opportunity to meet you, since, by your office as President of the United States of America, you represent before the world the entire American nation and you have the immense responsibility of leading this nation on the path of justice and peace.”
That meeting was recorded in a statement by the Archbishop of Atlanta, Gregory Hartmayer, who noted that the “mutual respect” between the two world leaders “continued over the years as both stood up for peace and human rights.”
Archbishop Hartmayer went on to say that President Carter and his wife Rosalynn “exemplified the Christian faith.” “Whether you’re traveling the world to promote democracy and defend human rights, or building homes with Habitat for Humanity and teaching Sunday school in Plains, Georgia, you’ve made the world a better place,” the archbishop said.
Highlighting the former president’s numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Hartmayer said that “with Rosalynn at his side, (Jimmy Carter) always took advantage of these opportunities to teach by example what it means to be a servant-leader.”
“Today, America and the world have lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” said US President Joe Biden in a statement released shortly after learning of Carter’s death.
Biden describes his predecessor as “a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism” and praises Carter’s “compassion and moral clarity.” It also highlights his work to “eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless and always advocate for the underprivileged.”
James Earl Carter, Jr. was the 39th president of the United States for one term, from 1977 to 1981. As president, he pardoned Vietnam War evaders, negotiated the ‘Camp David Accords’ between Egypt and Israel, and negotiated the treaty that resulted in Panamanian control of the Panama Canal. In 1979, he signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, which limited the deployment of strategic nuclear weapons by the United States and the USSR.
Jimmy Carter is expected to lie in state in Washington’s Capitol Rotunda before a state funeral planned for January 9. President Biden has announced that date as a day of mourning for the passing of his predecessor.
