The child at the heart of an international dispute over care, quality of life, and parental rights has left all of those cares behind. Charlie Gard died just hours after a British court ordered his transfer into hospice after the month-long legal fight that prompted interventions by both Donald Trump and Pope Francis:

"Our beautiful little boy has gone. We are so proud of you Charlie" – parents pay tribute to son Charlie Gardhttps://t.co/Nq366jr4zl pic.twitter.com/GpGQcL1lAb

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 28, 2017

Eleven-month-old Charlie Gard, whose short life captured the hearts of the world, has died a week before his first birthday. …

Charlie’s mother, Connie, said tonight: ‘Our beautiful little boy has gone, we are so proud of you Charlie.’ …

They paid tribute to their ‘absolute warrior’ less than a fortnight before his first birthday on the steps of the High Court, with father Chris saying: ‘Mummy and Daddy love you so much Charlie, we always have and we always will and we are so sorry that we couldn’t save you.

‘We had the chance but we weren’t allowed to give you that chance. Sweet dreams baby. Sleep tight our beautiful little boy.’

Charlie’s parents added they believed their son might have been saved if experimental therapy had been tried sooner.

Unfortunately, we will never know the answer to that question. The courts got involved months ago after the Great Ormond Street Hospital blocked Connie Yates and Chris Gard from seeking alternative and experimental treatment, arguing that the hospital had the better position to determine whether Charlie’s quality of life was worth the effort. A series of court decisions upheld that view, but prompted an international outcry over the abrogation of parental rights.

That debate will linger, as will the heartbreak and grief Yates and Gard must endure. As I wrote yesterday, we can continue to have that debate, but we must recognize that it’s larger than either GOSH, Judge Francis, and Charlie himself. At this point, everyone involved is in need of prayer, and all involved in the debate have this moment to open ourselves to grace and compassion rather than recriminations. There will be plenty of time for those debates, but we need open hearts and minds for that to be effective.

Update: From Pope Francis:

I entrust little Charlie to the Father and pray for his parents and all those who loved him.

— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) July 28, 2017

Beautifully put.