NEW DELHI, April 25: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday departed for Vatican City to attend the State Funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis. She will be on a two-day visit from April 25 to 26, representing the Government and people of India to offer condolences on the passing of the Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See.
Accompanying the President on this important visit are Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza.
Sharing the update on social media platform X, the official handle of the Rashtrapati Bhavan posted: “President Droupadi Murmu departs for Vatican City to attend the State Funeral of HH Pope Francis. She is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju; Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian; and Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza.”
President Murmu is scheduled to pay homage to Pope Francis by laying a wreath at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City on April 25, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The following day, April 26, she will attend the funeral Mass at Saint Peter’s Square, which will also be attended by dignitaries from around the world.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21 at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was the first Latin American to become pope, assuming the papacy on March 13, 2013, after succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.
The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, paid tribute to the late pontiff, noting, “His Holiness Pope Francis will be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility, and spiritual courage by millions worldwide.”
In honour of the funeral, the Government of India has declared April 26 as a day of state mourning.
