RAMALLAH, April 26, 2025 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, on behalf of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is set to participate in the funeral of Pope Francis, which will be held today, Saturday, in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, alongside leaders from more than 150 countries.
The Vatican announced last Monday the death of Pope Francis, aged 88, at his residence in Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican, following a deterioration in his health since February 18.
Throughout his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis was a staunch friend of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, right up until the final hours of his life when he renewed his call for an end to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which "generates death and destruction" and causes a "horrific and shameful" humanitarian situation.
He also called for aid to be provided to the "starving" Palestinian people in the Strip, who "long for a future of peace."
The late Pope contributed to consolidating the historic relations between Palestine and the Vatican, beginning with the recognition of the State of Palestine and the signing of a comprehensive agreement between the State of Palestine and the Holy See, and continuing with his principled positions, which he always expressed, on the Palestinian issue and his call for a just peace based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy resolutions.
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