ROME, Italy, 26th April, 2025 (WAM) - On behalf of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has attended the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis.

Alongside H.H., the funeral was also attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Crown Prince's Office at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; and Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

The funeral procession began in Saint Peter's Square, with the burial taking place at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, in the presence of heads of state, world leaders and dignitaries from across the globe.

H.H. Sheikh Khaled conveyed the condolences of His Highness the UAE President to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, and to Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals at the Vatican. H.H. also expressed sincere sympathies to the College of Cardinals, the Holy See and the global Catholic community on the passing of Pope Francis.

H.H. described the late Pope as a symbol of human fraternity, cultural coexistence and interfaith dialogue, underscoring that His Holiness' humanitarian legacy will continue to inspire future generations in upholding the values of tolerance and mutual understanding. 

Pope Francis had a distinguished legacy of promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue. His Holiness' historic visit to the United Arab Emirates, the first of its kind to the region, culminated in the announcement of the Human Fraternity Document, which His Holiness signed alongside His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Professor Ahmed Al-Tayeb, in Abu Dhabi on 4 February 2019. The document served as a global charter for peace and human coexistence, and was later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, which designated 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity.