CA Yunus to leave for Rome Friday from Doha to attend Pope Francis' funeral

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus will leave for Rome, Italy directly from Doha, Qatar on Friday (25 April) to attend Pope Francis' funeral and pay his last tribute to the Pope, a beacon of peace, humanity and unity.

Yunus is paying a visit to Qatar to attend the Earthna Summit and held a series of meetings including with the Qatar leadership.

"A very small team will accompany the Chief Adviser (in the funeral ceremony) while the rest of his entourage will return to Dhaka from Doha," Press Secretary Alam told UNB, adding that he is going there to pay tribute to a friend.

There will be no other engagements during the brief visit and the chief adviser is likely to return home on Sunday.

Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday, with public viewing starting Wednesday.

Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday after lying in state for three days in St. Peter's Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history's first Latin American pontiff.

The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican's synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis' successor, as condolences poured in from around the world.

According to current norms, the conclave must begin between 5 and 10 May.

The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter's Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

The Argentine pope died Monday at age 88 after a stroke put him in a coma and led his heart to fail.

He had been recovering in his apartment after being hospitalised for five weeks with pneumonia.

He made his last public appearance Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and greeting followers from his popemobile, looping around St Peter's Square.

Yunus on Monday expressed profound condolences on behalf of the government and people of Bangladesh at the passing of Pope Francis, describing him as a beacon of peace, humanity and unity.

"With his passing away, we have seen the end of an epoch of dignified papacy, honed by suave leadership qualities, carried out for uplifting human dignity, interfaith harmony and justice for the marginalised," he said in a message, expressing condolences with a heavy heart.

Pope Francis, history's first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, died Monday. He was 88.

In his message to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of State of the Holy See, Vatican City, Yunus said his leadership transcended religious boundaries and inspired millions to step up efforts to build a more inclusive, tolerant and compassionate world.

"I have been honoured to meet many times with Pope Francis and to work closely with him to foster peace, human dignity and environmental stewardship," he said.

"The people of Bangladesh, who were deeply honoured by His Holiness' historic visit to our country in 2017, join the global community in mourning this great loss," said the chief adviser.

"During this time of sorrow, we stand in solidarity with the Catholic Church and people of faith around the globe, remembering the profound impact of his teachings and the kindness he extended to all," he said.

"May the departed soul rest in eternal peace. May we continue to honour his vision of a world united in compassion and understanding," Yunus added.