CA Yunus leaves Rome for home

Highlights:

• Chief Adviser Yunus attended Pope Francis's funeral at Vatican City
• Cardinal Tomasi and Cardinal Koovakad met with Yunus after the funeral
• Yunus described Pope Francis as "an amazing human being"

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has left Rome for home today (27 April), a day after joining the funeral mass of Pope Francis at St Peter's Square in Vatican City.

He is expected to reach home in the early hours tomorrow (28 April), Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told media.

Following the funeral yesterday (26 April), Senior Catholic Church leaders, Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi and Cardinal Jacob Koovakad, met the chief adviser; he praised the late Pope as "an amazing human being", reports UNB. 

The two cardinals recalled Pope Francis's lifelong mission to champion the causes of the poor and marginalized, his efforts to eradicate poverty, and his vision of a world without war or nuclear weapons.

They deeply appreciated Prof Yunus' work, describing him as a close friend of the late Pope and thanking him for dedicating his life to the fight against poverty.

Prof Yunus reminisced about his long association with Pope Francis, saying the Pope had the ability to embrace everyone, regardless of their religious background.

"He was an amazing human being," Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Prof Yunus as saying.

He recalled meeting Pope Francis many times during his pontificate and highlighted how one of his critical letters to the Holy See — addressing the need to reform the Vatican Bank — was published on the front page of the Vatican's official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano.

"I wrote about how the Vatican should reform its bank to make it friendlier to the poor. I was critical of its performance and controversies. Yet, the Pope published the entire letter," he said.

Professor Yunus shared how Pope Francis appointed him to chair several committees focused on reforming the Vatican's banking practices and expanding the Church's pro-poor initiatives.

In November, the Vatican launched the Pope Francis–Yunus Three Zero Clubs in Rome, aimed at promoting Professor Yunus's vision of a world with zero unemployment, zero wealth concentration, and zero net carbon emissions.

"I am a Muslim. Yet Pope Francis never objected to his name being used alongside a person from a different faith," Professor Yunus noted.

He also recounted being honored with the Torch of St. Francis of Assisi by the Catholic Church for embodying the spirit of the 13th-century Italian mystic and saint.

"He never treated me as an outsider," Professor Yunus said, reflecting on his rich memories with the late Pope.

Cardinal Tomasi and Cardinal Koovakad mentioned that the College of Cardinals, of which they are key members, will meet next week to elect the next Pope. Both cardinals are seen as potential candidates for the Church's top leadership position.