MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had a brief opportunity to meet United States President Donald Trump at the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City on Saturday.
In pictures released by the Presidential Communications Office, the Philippine Chief Executive, accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, was seen in a short conversation with Trump.
Aside from Trump, President Marcos also had an opportunity to exchange pleasantries with former US President Joe Biden.
The Philippines’ first couple joined other world leaders and around 250,000 people in paying their last respects to the late pontiff.
“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,” Marcos wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
“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,””he added.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away on April 21 at the age of 88 due to “cerebral stroke, coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse,” according to the medical certificate published on the Vatican website.
In accordance with his wishes, Pope Francis was laid to rest not in the traditional papal tombs beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, but in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major outside the Vatican./PN
