Dom Gjergj Meta, Head of the Albanian Interreligious Conference, spoke in a Skype interview with News 24 following the passing of Pope Francis.

He described this loss as a difficult moment for the Catholic Church and for all believers, emphasizing that Pope Francis left behind a message of peace and solidarity.

Gjergj Meta also mentioned Pope Francis' historic visit to Albania, where he chose to visit a small and poor country like Albania, appreciating the sacrifices of believers during the communist period.

Head of the Albanian Interreligious Conference, Dom Gjergj Meta: We did not think that Pope Francis would pass away so suddenly. He left blessing us all. The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd. The See of Rome is empty at this moment. The Pope had a vision, for a more solidary Church, closer to the people, he did a great job over many years. It is a great loss, but we believe that a Christian's life is not taken away, but it is transformed.

Pope Francis had the message of the Gospel, he showed closeness to the victims in wars around the world. The Pope also came to Albania, I was the spokesperson for the visit and I remember all the commitment of everyone for that very important visit. All the people welcomed the Pope. He entered Europe through Albania, he appreciated our small Albania. I think the Pope chose Albania, because it was a small country, I believe, and poor. The second motive was that in Albania under communism, believers suffered a lot.