Prof Yunus pays tribute to late Pope Francis at Vatican

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus paid homage to the late Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Friday, where the Pope’s mortal remains lay in state ahead of his funeral.

His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Vicar General of the Pope for Vatican City, officially received Prof Yunus and the Bangladesh delegation at St. Peter’s Square.

Prof Yunus is scheduled to return to the square on Saturday morning around 9:30 am to attend the Funeral Mass for Pope Francis.

The late pontiff was known to deeply admire Prof Yunus's work with marginalised communities and his vision for a "Three Zero World" — a world free of poverty, unemployment, and carbon emissions. The Vatican also partnered with Prof Yunus to launch a joint Three Zero Initiative in Rome.

Prof Yunus arrived in Rome on Friday afternoon around 2:15 pm (local time), where he was received by Bangladesh’s ambassadors to Italy and the Vatican. He had departed Qatar earlier that morning, leaving Hamad International Airport at 9:25 am (12:25 pm BST), where he was seen off by the Chief of Protocol of Qatar, Ibrahim bin Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo.

Following the funeral, Prof Yunus will leave Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport at 8:00 am (12:00 pm BST) on Sunday and is expected to return to Bangladesh early Monday.