Africa-Press – Mauritius. French President Emmanuel Macron has cancelled the Mauritius leg of his Indian Ocean tour to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in the Vatican. The decision was communicated to the Mauritian government, leading to the cancellation of his planned visit scheduled for Thursday evening through Friday. Macron, leading a delegation of officials and business leaders, will instead attend the funeral on Saturday.
The diocese of Port-Louis is preparing for the funeral, with Bishop Jean Michaël Durhône presiding over a requiem mass in memory of Pope Francis. The French presidency has reportedly proposed a full-scale official visit to Mauritius in November to compensate for the cancelled trip. The Mauritian government is open to this proposal.
The possibility of Macron’s visit being postponed arose after the announcement of Pope Francis’ death. Macron confirmed his attendance at the funeral, stating, “We will be at the Pope’s funeral, as it should be.” Macron will attend the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) summit in Nosy Be, Madagascar, before returning to Europe for the funeral.
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam will lead the Mauritian delegation to the IOC summit. He paid tribute to Pope Francis in the National Assembly, expressing condolences to the diocese of Port-Louis and Catholic faithful. The government also sent a letter of condolence to the Vatican, remembering the Pope’s visit to Mauritius.
A condolence book will be available at the Saint-Louis Cathedral for those wishing to express their sympathy. Cardinal Maurice E. Piat will attend the funeral in Rome, accompanied by Father Georgy Kenny. Although Cardinal Piat cannot vote in the election of a new pope, he will participate in the discussions preceding the conclave.
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