Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has conveyed the imperial family’s condolences over the death of Pope Francis to the acting head of the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.
The emperor sent the message on Wednesday from himself, Empress Masako, and his parents, former Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, the agency said.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya is set to attend the pope’s funeral at the Vatican on Saturday. More than 130 delegations including 50 heads of state and 10 members of various royal families are attending, according to the Vatican.
U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the political leaders set to attend the funeral for the head of the Roman Catholic Church, who died Monday at age 88.
Pope Francis met Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace during his 2019 visit to Japan. The emperor thanked the pontiff for visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki and meeting victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which devastated northeastern Japan, according to the agency.
Pope Francis (R) and Japanese Emperor Naruhito hold talks at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Nov. 25, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
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