Javier Milei traveled to Rome with his team to bid farewell to Pope Francis.
President Javier Milei departed this Thursday night for Rome to bid farewell to Pope Francis , who will be buried this Saturday, April 26, in St. Peter's Square. The president traveled accompanied by his sister Karina Milei and part of his cabinet. Among them were spokesperson Manuel Adorni , Minister Patricia Bullrich , Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello , Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein , and Chief Minister Guillermo Francos .
Although the flight was originally scheduled for 10 p.m., departure was delayed a few hours due to a last-minute event. Milei attended the presentation of an honorary degree to an economist she admires before boarding her flight to Italy.
Before leaving for Rome, President Javier Milei declared that Pope Francis was "the most important Argentine in history."
The main purpose of his trip is to attend the Pontiff's funeral at the Vatican. In that context, he emphasized that he hopes to "be able to… pic.twitter.com/iUgsVjCeaD
Pope Francis 's funeral will be held this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. In Argentina, it will begin at 5:00 a.m. The funeral will take place in the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica and will be presided over by Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals. The tomb will be in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, with a Ligurian marble headstone at ground level.
The Vatican announced that starting Sunday, the faithful will be able to pay their respects. The tombstone will bear the engraving "Franciscus" and a silver reproduction of his pectoral cross, the central symbol of his papacy.
The Secretary of Worship, Nahuel Sotelo , had been in Rome since Tuesday to receive the Argentine delegation. The official agenda indicates no bilateral meetings, although there is speculation about possible informal encounters with international leaders.
Hours before the flight, the Argentine president surprised everyone by speaking respectfully of his former main critic in the Vatican. " Jorge Bergoglio has been the most important Argentine in history," declared Milei , who has had public disagreements with the Pontiff in the past.
International figures such as former US President Donald Trump , Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , and Brazilian President Lula da Silva are expected to attend the ceremony. For now, the focus of the Argentine president's visit will remain exclusively on paying tribute to the Church leader.
After the funeral, Javier Milei will return to the country without any planned activities on Italian soil. Pope Francis 's farewell marks a historic moment for Argentine and global politics.
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