“I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds.”
President Donald Trump will be attending the funeral of Pope Francis later this week, according to reporting from the New York Post. Francis died on Monday morning after having a lengthy battle in the late winter with pneumonia. The pontiff was 88 years old at the time of his passing.
The president will be in attendance at the funeral later this week, the outlet reported, citing sources familiar with the plans.
At the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday morning, when asked about going to the services, Trump did not know at the time and replied, "I don’t know yet. We’re going to be briefed on it right now. He was a very good man who loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time and that’s good with me."
On Truth Social, Trump wrote after new broke of the death of Pope Francis, "As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment."
"I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations," Trump added.
Vice President JD Vance, who is a convert to the Catholic faith and was able to briefly meet with Francis over the weekend, said on X, "I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him."
"I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul," Vance added.
On Monday morning, Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, said in a statement regarding Francis' passing, "At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church."
"He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized," the statement added.
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