Acting President Ilie Bolojan to attend funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican

Acting President Ilie Bolojan will attend the funeral of Pope Francis, the Presidential Administration said on Tuesday.   In recognition of his global impact and historic ties to the country, the Romanian Government will declare Saturday, April 26, 2025, a national day of mourning, coinciding with the pontiff’s funeral at the Vatican. The decision will be formalized in a government resolution, according to official sources.The Pontiff died on Monday, the second day of Easter, following a stroke.   The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 local time (11:00, Romanian time), writes the BBC.   Also, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, according to statements made by the president himself on Monday, EFE reports. The leaders of Paris and Kiev have also announced their intention to attend the funeral.   Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky announced their intention to attend the funeral of Pope Francis While in the Reunion Islands, the French head of state said that he would attend the funeral of Pope Francis.   Pope Francis was a symbol of humility, compassion and tireless commitment to peace and justice, interim President Ilie Bolojan said on Monday.'We learned with deep sadness about the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In these moments of mourning and grief, I convey my sincere condolences to the Catholic faithful in Romania and around the world, as well as to all those for whom Pope Francis was a spiritual beacon and a source of hope. He was a symbol of humility, compassion and tireless commitment to peace and justice,' Bolojan wrote on Facebook.He noted that Pope Francis was also 'a close friend of the Romanian people, whom he cherished for the depth of their faith and spirit'.   Pope Francis visited predominantly Orthodox Romania in 2019. Stopping in the northeastern city of Iasi, the pontiff called Romania “our home”. The 2019 visit to Romania was “a providential meeting of the Sovereign Pontiff with the Romanian people, a moment that allowed people to get to know him better, and for His Holiness to express appreciation for our people, including the raising of the altars of the united bishops, martyrs and confessors of the faith under the oppression of the communist regime,” Romania’s Ambassador to the Vatican, George Bologan told Universul.net in an interview this year.