New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has confirmed his attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis this weekend. Luxon, currently in the United Kingdom, recently met with King Charles III and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer before heading to Gallipoli in Turkey for Anzac Day services on Friday, commemorating the 115th anniversary of the World War 1 landings.
Following the Anzac Day services, Luxon will travel directly to St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to represent New Zealand at the funeral of Pope Francis, which is set to begin on Saturday night (NZ time). Luxon expressed his intention to stand alongside other global leaders in mourning the loss of Pope Francis, highlighting the pontiff’s dedicated service to over 1 billion Catholics worldwide, including nearly 450,000 in New Zealand.
Pope Francis, aged 88, passed away on Monday after experiencing a stroke and cardiac arrest. He had been hospitalized in Rome in February for double pneumonia and was discharged late last month.
