"All our special envoys have departed for Rome, and per the flight duration, they must have arrived in Rome now," Hadi stated on Friday.
The president's special envoys for the funeral are former president Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Djiwandono, and former minister Ignasius Jonan.
Except for Jokowi, the other envoys are Catholics, including Jonan, who headed the organizing committee for the Pope's Apostolic Journey to Indonesia in 2024, and Djiwandono, who led the national committee for the 2024 Christmas celebration.
Hadi confirmed that the envoys carried a condolence letter from the Indonesian government and a personal letter from President Prabowo to the Holy See.
"There are no special messages on the letter apart from the expression of condolences from the Indonesian government and its people bereaved by the Pope's passing," he remarked.
Hadi said the president’s belief that Pope Francis’ emphasis on the Holy Spirit as a force for global unity and personal transformation would remain a guiding light for Catholics and humanity.
"Defending the weak, the poor, and the oppressed is the humane value of Pope Francis that we must all inherit," the spokesperson affirmed.
The Office of Protocol of the Vatican Secretariat of State confirmed on Thursday that 130 delegations have registered to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.
National leaders who will attend the funeral ceremony comprise US President Donald Trump, President Javier Milei of Argentina, the home country of Pope Francis, and the European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be present for the ceremony.
Pope Francis breathed his last at his residence in the Vatican on Monday (April 21). He reigned as the leader of the Catholic Church since 2013.
Translator: Genta Tenri M, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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