President, Prime Minister and Opposition leader to attend pope’s funeral

President Myriam Spiteri Debono, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech will all be in attendance for Pope Francis’s funeral this Saturday.

The President’s husband, Anthony Spiteri Debono, and the Prime Minister’s wife, Lydia Abela will also be travelling with the Maltese delegation.

They will be in attendance following an invitation of the Vatican State for a five-person Maltese delegation during the official ceremony.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday after suffering a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible heart failure. Only a day earlier, he had descended in St Peter's Square to meet pilgrims gathered there for Easter celebrations.

The pope was hospitalised in February after suffering a severe bout of pneumonia but was discharged a couple of weeks ago. He had been recovering at the Vatican.

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