Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
Global tributes
The Catholic Church’s first Latin American pope died on Monday aged 88, less than a month after his release from hospital where he spent weeks fighting severe pneumonia.
“It was like saying goodbye to a father” who “loved me and will continue to love me as and more than before,” said Filipa Castronovo, 76, an Italian nun.
The pontiff, who had long suffered failing health, defied doctors’ orders by making a public appearance on Easter Sunday, the most important moment in the Catholic calendar.
It was his last public appearance.
Condolences have flooded in from around the world for the Jesuit, an energetic reformer who championed those on the fringes of society as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
He used his last speech to rail against those who stir up “contempt… towards the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants”.
“It’s impressive to see all these people,” French cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo said of the queueing crowds, describing Francis as “a man of the people.
“It’s a beautiful response, a beautiful embrace of his ministry, of his pontificate,” he added.
The Vatican has said more than 130 foreign delegations are confirmed for the funeral, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Britain’s Prince William, many of whom began arriving early on Friday morning.
Trump is expected to arrive on Friday evening for a visit of less than 24 hours, his first foreign trip of his second term.
Accompanied by his wife Melania, Trump will face many foreign leaders but no meetings have been announced.
The presence of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky was in doubt after he said he may miss the funeral due to important “military meetings” following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv.
Selfie ban
On Thursday the Vatican banned people from taking photos inside the basilica, a move that eased the queue. It came after some mourners took selfies with the coffin.
After the funeral, Francis’s coffin will be driven at a walking pace for burial at his favourite church, Rome’s papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
The hearse will pass down Rome’s Fori Imperiali — where the city’s ancient temples lie — and past the Colosseum, according to officials.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
