Marcos declares national mourning period for Pope Francis until April 26
Malacañang has declared a national mourning period over the passing of Pope Francis.
Proclamation No. 871, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., states that the mourning period will be effective immediately and will last until the late pontiff's burial on April 26.
"Pope Francis holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people, particularly for his Apostolic Visit to the Philippines in January 2015, where he offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful despite adversities," Marcos said.
"This nation expresses solidarity with the world as our generation mourns the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, with loving prayers for his eternal peace."
During the period of mourning, the national flags will be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset on all government buildings and installations throughout the country and abroad.
Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21, almost a month after he was discharged from five weeks in hospital where he nearly succumbed to double pneumonia.
He passed away in his apartment at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He died of "cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse," the death certificate said.
The pope's funeral will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square, where most of his predecessors rest. His chosen resting place is the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major), which he had "a great devotion to," he said in his 2024 book "El Sucesor" (The Successor), a long interview with journalist Javier Martinez-Brocal.
World leaders, including Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, will attend the pope's funeral at the Vatican.
"I love this pope. The best pope in my lifetime as far as I'm concerned," the president said of Francis in a statement.
"A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten," Marcos also said separately.
