PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia will be officially represented at the State Funeral of the late Pope Francis by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), and Datuk Ewon Benedick, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives.
The Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement on Friday that both ministers will attend the funeral, which is scheduled to take place on April 26 in Vatican City.
The State Funeral will begin with a Roman Catholic Funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Square, led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re. The ceremony will be followed by a solemn procession accompanying the remains of the Pope to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where he will be laid to rest in a private interment.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim conveyed his condolences on the passing of Pope Francis on April 21. In a message issued following the announcement of the Pope’s death, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the pontiff’s legacy, citing his deep commitment to interfaith dialogue, environmental responsibility, and the protection of marginalized communities.
On April 23, Datuk Ewon Benedick signed the Book of Condolences at the Apostolic Nunciature in Kuala Lumpur, on behalf of the Government of Malaysia. -BERNAMA
