Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today joined the funeral mass of Pope Francis in the Vatican City. Photo: BSS

ROME, Italy, April 26, 2025 (BSS) -Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus today joined the funeral mass of Pope Francis in the Vatican City.

The funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88, is taking place in St Peter's Square.

Dozens of leaders and dignitaries - including US President Donald Trump, and Prince William - joined the funeral on St Peter's Square.

Prof Yunus took a seat among the global top leaders and dignitaries at the ceremony.

President of European commission Ursula von der Leyen along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with other leaders from Europe are also attending the funeral.

Some 140,000 people gathered on St Peter's Square and in the surrounding streets for Pope Francis's funeral, Italian police said on Saturday.
"About an hour before the start of the ceremony, St. Peter's Square is close to filling its capacity of 40,000 people. An estimated 100,000 people are already present in Via della Conciliazione", the avenue leading to the Vatican, and surrounding streets, police said.

Late Pope Francis was the big admirer of the Prof Yunus's work for the marginalised people across the globe and his vision for a 'Three Zero World' where there will be no unemployment, no poverty and zero carbon emission. 

The Vatican also launched a joint Three Zero Initiative in Rome with the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate.