Russian president to skip Pope Francis’ funeral, Kremlin confirms

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the funeral of Pope Francis, the Kremlin confirmed.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters that Putin does not have plans to travel to the Vatican for the pontiff’s funeral on April 26, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

When asked about the possibility of Russian representation at the funeral, Peskov stated, “No, the president has no such plans.” He added that a decision regarding who from the Russian Federation will attend the mourning events has not yet been made. “I can’t tell you yet, no decision has been made. When it is made, we will inform you,” Peskov said.

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away at the age of 88.

According to the Vatican, the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, April 26. World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, are expected to attend the ceremony.

The late pontiff will be interred at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. As per his will, the grave is to remain simple, with no elaborate decorations, bearing only the inscription "Franciscus" (Francis).

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, the day after Easter, at the age of 88. The pontiff had been grappling with health issues in recent months.

By Vafa Guliyeva