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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos pays tribute to 'voice for the voiceless' Pope Francis; back in Manila on Apr. 28

Marcos pays tribute to 'voice for the voiceless' Pope Francis; back in Manila on Apr. 28

Published Apr 26, 2025 11:08 pm

At A Glance

  • The President, who arrived at the Vatican with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos on April 25, said he attended the funeral as a heartfelt gesture of respect.

President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are set to return to Manila on Monday morning, April 28, after attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican over the weekend, Malacañang confirmed.

Pope funeral.jpg
Photos from President Marcos' Facebook page

In a text message to reporters on Sunday, April 27, Communications Undersecretary Ana Puod said the First Couple would land in Manila on Monday morning. No other details were provided.

The President and the First Lady joined other world leaders in mourning the death of Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26. In a Facebook post, Marcos described the late pontiff as the "voice of the voiceless" as he paid his last respects.

"Isang taos-pusong pagpupugay mula sa sambayanang Pilipino para sa isang Santo Papa na kumalinga at nagbigay-tinig sa mga hindi napapakinggan (A heartfelt tribute from the Filipino people to a Pope who cared for and gave voice to the unheard)," he wrote on Facebook.

The President, who arrived at the Vatican with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos on April 25, said he attended the funeral as a heartfelt gesture of respect.

"Dumalo ako sa libing ni Pope Francis bilang pagtanaw ng taos-pusong paggalang — mula sa isang bayang matatag sa pananampalataya, para sa isang Santo Papa na humaplos sa puso ng milyon-milyon (I attended the funeral of Pope Francis as a heartfelt gesture of respect — from a nation steadfast in faith, for a Pope who touched the hearts of millions)," he said.

"Nakiisa ako, hindi lang bilang Pangulo, kundi bilang isang Pilipino — dala ang dasal at pag-asa ng bawat kababayan nating nais sanang makadalo at makapagpasalamat (I joined not only as a President, but as a Filipino — carrying the prayers and hopes of every fellow citizen who would have wanted to attend and give thanks)," he added.

Photographs accompanying his statement showed President Marcos solemnly standing among other dignitaries inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

Another image depicted pallbearers carrying the coffin of Pope Francis, with a large crowd of mourners gathered in solemn prayer.

During the funeral at St. Peter's Square, President Marcos had short exchanges with US President Donald Trump and former US president Joseph Biden.

While Malacañang has yet to release information about what the leaders talked about, a video uploaded on X showed the First Couple exchanging pleasantries with Biden and his wife.

Pope Francis died on April 21 after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest. He was 81.

Related Tags

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