MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday (April 23) declared four days of national mourning in the Philippines, Asia's Catholic bastion, over the death of Pope Francis.
The Philippine flag will be flown at half-mast at all government buildings and installations, Marcos said in a presidential proclamation that declared a "period of National Mourning effective immediately until the burial of Pope Francis".
"The passing of Pope Francis is a moment of profound sorrow for the Catholic Church and for the Filipino people, who recognise him as a global leader of compassion and a tireless advocate for peace, justice and human dignity," the president said.
Francis also held "a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people", Marcos added, citing the pontiff's January 2015 visit to the Philippines where he "offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful despite adversities".
Francis, an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013, died on Monday aged 88.
There are more than 90 million Filipino Catholics, according to official estimates, making the Asian nation among the most populous Catholic-majority countries in the world.
Bells were rung and requiem masses were held at churches across the Philippines within hours of the announcement of Francis's death.
Marcos is so far the only Asian leader set to attend the pope's funeral on Saturday. - AFP
