Ewon pays last respects to Pope Francis, attends funeral mass

Ewon pays his final respects to Pope Francis

27 April 2025

VATICAN CITY: Minister of Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperatives, Datuk Ewon Benedick, together with world leaders, attended and participated in the funeral mass and burial ceremony of Pope Francis at St. Peter's Square here on Saturday.

The Malaysian government was represented by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal Affairs and Institutional Reform), Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, and Ewon.

Among the world leaders present were the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky; former President of the United States, Joe Biden; and former President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The mass service, attended by hundreds of thousands of people from various faiths around the world, was conducted in Latin and broadcast live worldwide.

“On Friday, I, together with the Malaysian Ambassador to the Holy See, Hendy Anak Assan, paid my final respects to Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It was an incredibly moving experience to be in that place, especially to pay my last respects to Pope Francis.

“On Saturday, I, and Azalina and all the other world leaders, attended the funeral mass and burial ceremony of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square.

“Pope Francis has left us with a significant legacy, especially through his discourses, viewpoints, and messages to all of us, particularly to the Catholic community worldwide,” said Ewon.