Jokowi to attend Pope Francis' funeral on Prabowo's behalf
Then-defence minister Prabowo Subianto (left) greets Pope Francis (centre), as seen by then-president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo (right) during a ceremonial welcome for the pontiff at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2024. - Photo: AFP file
JAKARTA: Former president Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo will be among officials appointed to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome this weekend, an event which is expected to be attended by dozens of world leaders.
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said President Prabowo Subianto had appointed several figures to represent him and Indonesia in attending the funeral procession, scheduled for Saturday (April 26).
He previously said that the President cannot attend the funeral because of 'one thing or another'.
The representatives are Jokowi, First Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono, former transportation minister Ignasius Jonan who headed the Bishop's Conference of Indonesia (KWI) special committee for the papal visit to Jakarta last year as well as Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai.
'We hope that these figures can represent our nation in offering condolences,' Prasetyo told reporters on Wednesday (April 23).
He added that the representatives are expected to depart for Vatican City on Thursday or Friday, at the latest.
Pope Francis died on Monday morning, aged 88, after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest at the papal residence.
The late Argentinian pontiff previously suffered from months of declining health caused by acute respiratory failure and double pneumonia.
Following his death, President Prabowo expressed his condolences in a recorded statement, saying that the world had lost 'a role model deeply committed to peace, humanity and brotherhood'.
The President also posted two pictures of him shaking hands with Francis when the pontiff visited Jakarta in September 2024, adding that the pope 'left a deep impression not just on Catholics, but all Indonesians'.
Pope Francis' Jakarta trip included visiting the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and leading a Mass at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta, which was attended by more than 80,000 Catholics from around the country.
The Jakarta Cathedral is slated to hold a requiem Mass for the late pope on Thursday.
The late pope's funeral will be held on Saturday, as decided by cardinals meeting in a so-called 'general congregation', the first of a series of meetings which will culminate in a conclave within three weeks, where a new pope will be elected, AFP reported.
The procession will take place at 10am in the plaza in front of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
Francis' coffin will then be taken inside the church, and from there to Rome's papal basilica of St. Maria Maggiore for burial.
Several world leaders are expected to attend the funeral, including United States President Donald Trump, who was among the first to confirm his attendance, the United Kingdom's Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
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