Pope Francis death: Marcos declares 4 days of national mourning
Pallbearers, next to Swiss Guards, carry the coffin of the late Pope Francis as it is transported from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica, following the Pope’s death, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. The Pope died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on April 21, 2025, of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church. | Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday declared four days of national mourning in the Philippines, Asia’s Catholic bastion, over the death of Pope Francis.
The Philippine flag will be flown at half-mast at all government buildings and installations, Marcos said in a presidential proclamation that declared a “period of National Mourning effective immediately until the burial of Pope Francis”.
“The passing of Pope Francis is a moment of profound sorrow for the Catholic Church and for the Filipino people, who recognise him as a global leader of compassion and a tireless advocate for peace, justice and human dignity,” the president said as he signed Proclamation 871, declaring the period of national mourning in the country following the pontiff’s death.
READ: LIVE UPDATES: Pope Francis dies at age 88
Francis also held “a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people”, Marcos added, citing the pontiff’s January 2015 visit to the Philippines where he “offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful despite adversities”.
Pope Francis visited the Philippines in 2015, drawing millions of faithful in one of the largest papal gatherings in history.
Francis, an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013, died on Monday aged 88.
READ: Pope Francis funeral: World leaders set to attend as cardinals gather
There are more than 90 million Filipino Catholics, according to official estimates, making the Asian nation among the most populous Catholic-majority countries in the world.
Bells were rung and requiem masses were held at churches across the Philippines within hours of the announcement of Francis’s death.
READ: Marcos to attend Pope Francis funeral
The President and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will attend the Pope’s funeral at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City, scheduled at 10 a.m. (4 p.m. Manila time) on Saturday.After the service, Pope Francis’ remains will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica and later entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Marcos is so far the only Asian leader set to attend the pope’s funeral on Saturday. | With PNA report
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