President William Ruto is currently in Italy as he prepares to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, just moments after he concluded his official State visit in China.
Images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed Ruto being received by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula after his arrival in Rome, Italy.
This was despite reports suggesting that he had nominated Wetang’ula to represent him at the significant event that attracted notable world leaders such as United States President Donald Trump.
Ruto is set to be among 11 African Heads of State expected to be in attendance in a development that was confirmed by the Vatican.
According to the official list released, other African leaders expected at the ceremony include Angola’s President Joao Lourenco, Cape Verde’s President Jose Maria Neves, and DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi.
Also on the list are President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema of Gabon, President Faustin-Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic, and Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo.
Lesotho will be represented by King Letsie III, while Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina, Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, and Seychelles’ President Wavel Ramkalawan are also expected to attend.
Burundi’s Vice President Prosper Bazombanza, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, and Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe complete the list of confirmed African leaders.
The latest comes after Speaker Wetang'ula had on Thursday, April 24, revealed that Ruto had nominated him to represent Kenya at the solemn event. He disclosed this while speaking as he led a group of Members of the National Assembly in offering their condolences at the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi.
The funeral on Saturday will cap almost a week of mourning for Francis, whose advocacy for migrants, the poor, the marginalised and those suffering under war often put him directly at odds with some of the powerful people who will pay their respects to him inside St Peter’s Basilica.
About 250 cardinals, a multitude of bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters will attend the funeral Mass for the Holy Father Francis on Saturday, April 26, starting at 10:00 AM. The wooden and zinc coffin of the deceased Pontiff, sealed on Friday evening, will be placed on the forecourt of the Basilica, just in front of the altar.
It will face a vast crowd, expected to number several hundred thousand people, hailing from all geographical, social, political, and cultural backgrounds to pay their final respects.
As prescribed by the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the funeral Mass is the first of nine Masses to be held daily at St. Peter’s through Sunday, May 4. The funeral liturgy will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
The patriarchs and cardinals will be distinguished from the bishops by the purple of their liturgical garments and their white damask mitres, while the bishops will wear plain white mitres.
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