Lithuanian PM calls Pope Francis a 'moral authority' for both faithful and secular people

VILNIUS – Pope Francis is a moral authority not just for the faithful but also for secular people, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said after signing the book of condolences on Thursday.  

"Pope Francis is a moral authority not only for the faithful community but also reflects widely shared secular values," Paluckas told journalists in Vilnius. 

"He is an example of caring for the vulnerable, striving for social justice, and using behavior as one of the main levers of influence in changing the behavior of society and individuals," he said.

Although he never met Francis personally, the prime minister noted that the pope's impact was felt throughout society.

"The pope is a public and even, I'd say, political figure who influences not only the Church and parishioners but also secular people," he said. 

Pope Francis, 88, died on Easter Monday from a stroke, less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia.

The Argentine pontiff stirred both enthusiasm and controversy within the Church due to reforms aimed at opening the doors of the centuries-old institution to modern believers.

Francis' funeral, which is expected to draw huge crowds, will take place on Saturday in the plaza in front of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. The funeral will be attended by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and First Lady Diana Nausediene.  

The pontific will be buried in Rome's Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.