Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today joined the funeral mass of Pope Francis in the Vatican City. Photo: BSS

ROME (Italy), April 26, 2025 (BSS) - Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today paid his respects to Pope Francis in the Vatican City as he joined the funeral mass of the late Pope.

The funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88, took place in St Peter's Square.

The Bangladesh Chief Adviser was greeted by senior officials of the Vatican as he entered St. Peter's Basilica, where the mortal remains of the Pope were lying in state.

He stood in solemn silence in front of the coffin for a while to pay his last homage to late Pope Francis.

Prof Yunus then joined the two-hour-long funeral mass along with leaders of the world's more than 130 countries.

Dozens of world top leaders and dignitaries - including US President Donald Trump and Prince William - joined the funeral on St Peter's Square.

Prof Yunus took a seat among the global top leaders and dignitaries at the ceremony.

President of European commission Ursula von der Leyen along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with other leaders from Europe joined the funeral.

Ahead of the funeral and after the service, Prof Yunus exchanged greetings with some of the world leaders, including the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, EU President Ursula von der Leyen, former US president Joe Biden, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, Kenyan President , Montenegro President, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, President of Ecuador, President of East Timor, Prime Minister of Honduras, President of Iceland, President of Portugal, the King and Queen of Belgium, Prime Minister of Belgium, Prince Albert of Monaco, Prince and Princess of Norway, Prime Minister of Tunisia, Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein, Director General of WHO, President of IOC Tomas Bach, foreign ministers of Sri Lanka, Bahrain and Syria, former US secretary of state John Kerry.

Earlier on Friday, warping up his four-day Qatar tour, Prof Yunus flew directly to Rome to pay his respect to his old friend, Pope Francis.

Late Pope Francis was the big admirer of the Prof Yunus's work for the marginalised people across the globe and his vision for a 'Three Zero World' where there will be no unemployment, no poverty and zero carbon emission.

The Vatican also launched a joint Three Zero Initiative in Rome with the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder told BSS.

Some 140,000 people gathered on St Peter's Square and in the surrounding streets for Pope Francis's funeral, Italian police said on Saturday.

"About an hour before the start of the ceremony, St. Peter's Square is close to filling its capacity of 40,000 people. An estimated 100,000 people are already present in Via della Conciliazione", the avenue leading to the Vatican, and surrounding streets, police said.

Chief Adviser Prof Yunus will depart the Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport around 8:00 am (12:00pm Bangladesh Standard Time) on Sunday and is expected to reach home in the early hours on Monday.