President Ranil Wickremesinghe has given directives to fly the nationwide flag at half-mast tomorrow (Jan. 05) in any respect state establishments as a mark of respect to late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the previous head of the Catholic Church.
Accordingly, the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration has been requested to instruct all state establishments on this regard.
President Wickremesinghe visited the Embassy of the Holy See (Vatican Apostolic Nunciature) in Colombo this morning (Jan. 04) to specific his condolences on the demise of former head of the Catholic Church.
The previous Pope Benedict XVI handed away on the age of 95 on December 31, 2022 on the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery within the Vatican Metropolis the place he spent his remaining years after stepping down in 2013 as a consequence of ailing well being.
Following his demise, the physique of the late Pope was moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday (Jan. 02) and is mendacity in state there as hundreds of persons are gathering to bid farewell.
The funeral, presided over by Pope Francis, is scheduled to happen tomorrow morning at St. Peter’s Sq. within the Vatican Metropolis earlier than Pope Benedict XVI is laid to relaxation within the tombs beneath the basilica.
Benedict led the Catholic Church for lower than eight years till, in 2013, he turned the primary Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.
