United States President, Donald Trump, and First Lady Melania Trump are set to travel to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, marking the president’s first trip abroad since taking office in January.
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday, Trump shared his anticipation, “We can’t wait to be there,” as reported by Anadolu Agency.
CBS News reported that Trump expressed his condolences following the Vatican’s announcement that Pope Francis had passed away at the age of 88.
“Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all who love him!” the president posted.
Speaking during the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House on Monday, Trump described the late pontiff as “a very good man who loves, loves the world, and he especially loves people who are going through hard times, and that’s good for me.”
In a show of national mourning, Trump also signed a proclamation instructing that all flags on federal buildings, military installations, and U.S. embassies worldwide be flown at half-mast until sunset on the day of the Pope’s funeral.
Vice President JD Vance, who had met Pope Francis during a visit to the Vatican on Easter Sunday, also paid tribute online.
“I am saddened for the millions of Catholics around the world who love him. I was glad to meet him yesterday, even though he was clearly very ill. However, I will always remember him for the sermon he delivered in the early days of COVID. It was truly beautiful,” Vance wrote.
The White House shared past photos of Trump and Melania’s 2017 visit to the Vatican, during Trump’s first term, as well as recent images of Vance’s meeting with the Pope.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis died Monday morning as a result of an incurable brain stroke and heart failure. His death certificate was signed by Vatican physician Andrea Arcangeli.
Born in Buenos Aires in 1936 to Italian immigrant parents, Francis became the first pope from Latin America. A Jesuit priest since 1969, he studied both in Argentina and Germany before becoming head of the Catholic Church in 2013.
While the Vatican has yet to announce full details for the funeral, it did publish the Pope’s spiritual will dated June 29, 2022. In it, Francis made clear his funeral preferences.
“I ask that my body be at rest – awaiting the day of Resurrection – in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore,” he wrote, explaining it was the place where he always prayed at the start and end of every Apostolic Journey. He also requested a simple burial: “plain without any special ornaments.”
Throughout his papacy, Francis battled several health issues and had recently spent over a month hospitalized in Rome after a bout of double pneumonia.
Following his passing, global leaders, including former U.S. President Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, offered heartfelt tributes. Biden described Francis as “one of the most important leaders of our time.”
