Former President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden are expected to attend Pope Francis' funeral Saturday.
The Bidens are set to leave the United States on Friday to fly to Rome, where they will join other dignitaries at the funeral for the Pope, who died at the age of 88 earlier this week, a spokesperson for the former president confirmed to NewsNation, reports The Hill.
Biden was the nation's second Catholic president, with late President John F. Kennedy being its first. He and Pope Francis met often after the pontiff was selected in 2013, including during a private visit between the two in 2021, months after Biden took office.
"He was unlike any who came before him,” Biden wrote on X after the Pope died Monday.
"Above all, he was a Pope for everyone. He was the People’s Pope — a light of faith, hope, and love," the former president said.
Pope Francis died on Monday after a series of health issues, including a lengthy hospital stay in February, where he remained in critical condition for several days. His cause of death, coming one day after making final Easter appearances Sunday, was listed as a stroke and heart failure.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are also joining world leaders who are expected to attend the funeral. Others include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Argentinian President Javier Milei, among others, reports CBS News.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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