ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday extended his "deepest condolences" to Christians across the world on the passing of Pope Francis of the Vatican.

Pope Francis passed away on Monday after a long and arduous battle with pneumonia, the Vatican confirmed.

The Pope's death brought along condolences from officials all across the world, including the Kurdistan Region, where Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and President Nechirvan Barzani offered their condolences to all those affected by the pontiff's demise.

The Prime Minister offered his "deepest condolences to the Vatican and the Catholic faithful across Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world" in an X post, adding with his passing, "the world has lost a voice of compassion and unity."

Francis visited Erbil in 2021 upon an invitation by the Iraqi government and the Chaldean Catholic Church, where he addressed a crowd of over 10,000 in the Franso Hariri Stadium.

The Kurdish premier said in a statement that the administration fondly recalls the pontiff's 2021 trip to Erbil, hailing the visit as a "strong message that Christians are protected and respected in the Kurdistan Region."

Pope Francis had been severely ill with pneumonia in recent months, yet still managed to make a public address, a day before his passing, on Easter Sunday to worshipers from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

President Nechirvan Barzani wrote that the pontiff's legacy "will forever resonate as a beacon of hope, peace, and human dignity" in an X post.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid similarly expressed his condolences following news of the Pope's passing, lauding him as a "unique religious and humanitarian figure" who "rendered invaluable services to the causes of peace, poverty, and religious tolerance."