Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, April 25: The government of Karnataka has declared Saturday, April 26, as a day of state mourning in honour of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. The announcement comes ahead of the late pontiff’s funeral scheduled to take place on the same day.
The official notification, issued by deputy secretary to the government Elisha Andrews in the name of the Governor of Karnataka, stated, “His Holiness Pope Francis, supreme pontiff of the Holy See left for his heavenly abode on April 21, 2025. The funeral of the said dignitary will be held on Saturday, the 26th of April 2025.
“State mourning will be observed across the state on the said day in honour of the deceased soul. During this period, all kinds of official entertainment programmes/events will be prohibited and the national flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings where it is regularly flown.”
Reverend Cyril Victor Joseph, director of the Archdiocese Communication Centre, Archdiocese of Bengaluru, described Pope Francis as a visionary spiritual leader who championed causes beyond the confines of the Catholic Church.
“It’s indeed a great loss for the Church because he was a true shepherd and a great leader in the universal Church. We thank God for his leadership, but it is a huge loss. In a very special way, the unique initiatives he introduced during his tenure were marked by mercy and compassion,” said the Archdiocese of Bengaluru.
He added that Pope Francis envisioned a Church more attuned to God’s dream, one that extended mercy and compassion, especially to the marginalised and those on the peripheries.
“His leadership extended beyond Catholics and the Christian world. He was a global leader. We witnessed his deep concern for climate, ecology, and the environment. He was the first to issue an encyclical on the environment titled Laudato Si’, meaning ‘Praise Be to You’, focusing on care for our common home,” he said.
Reverend Cyril also recalled a personal moment from his academic journey: “During my doctoral research in Rome, I had the opportunity to visit Pope Francis in the US. He was affectionately referred to as a ‘tree hugger’ because of his strong environmental advocacy.”
He further highlighted that the late Pontiff had also raised timely ethical concerns regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), urging the world to consider its broader implications for humanity.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), had earlier issued a circular expressing deep condolences and calling for a day of mourning across all churches in India.