Martin Scorsese honors the late Pope Francis: 'A remarkable human being'

Martin Scorsese is honoring the late Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, with a written tribute.

In a statement shared with ABC Audio, the legendary director honored the Catholic Church's 266th supreme pontiff, calling him "a remarkable human being."

“There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, to the papacy. I will leave that to others. He was, in every way, a remarkable human being," Scorsese said. "He acknowledged his own failings. He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness."

Scorsese continued, saying Pope Francis had "an ironclad commitment to the good."

"He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning. And he never stopped enlightening. And, he embraced, preached and practiced forgiveness. Universal and constant forgiveness," Scorsese said.

The director said he deeply feels the loss of Pope Francis, a man he knew personally. The two met in May 2023, when the director announced he would be making another film centered on Jesus. He has previously made two films on the subject, 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ and the 2016 film Silence.

"The loss for me runs deep—I was lucky enough to know him, and I will miss his presence and his warmth," Scorcese said. "The loss for the world is immense. But he left a light behind, and it can never be extinguished."