---

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

[ PROCLAMATION NO. 871, April 23, 2025 ]

DECLARING A PERIOD OF NATIONAL MOURNING OVER THE PASSING OF POPE FRANCIS

WHEREAS, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away on 21 April 2025 at the age of 86;

WHEREAS, Pope Francis served as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 12 March 2013 until his passing, becoming the first Jesuit, first Latin American, and first non-European pontiff in over 1,200 years;

WHEREAS, throughout his 12 years of service as the head of Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis led over 1.3 Billion Catholics worldwide, including millions of Filipinos, and became a global symbol of humility, compassion, and peace, devoring his ministry to the care of the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable, and advocating tirelessly for social justice, equality, and interfaith dialogue;

WHEREAS, Pope Francis holds a special place in the hearts of the Filipino people, particularly for his Apostolic Visit to the Philippines in January 2015, where he offered comfort and solidarity to victims of Typhoon Yolanda, and celebrated the resilience of the Filipino faithful despite adversities;

WHEREAS, the passing of Pope Francis is a moment of profound sorrow for the Catholic Church and for the Filipino people, who recognize him as a global leader of compassion and a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and human dignity; and

WHEREAS, this nation expresses solidarity with the world as our generation mourns the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, with loving prayers for his eternal peace;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR., President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby declare a period of National Mourning effective immediately until the burial of Pope Francis.

During this period of mourning, the national flag shall be flown at half-mast from sunrise to sunset, on all government buildings and installations throughout the Philippines and abroad.ℒαwρhi৷

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the President to be affixed.

DONE, in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of April, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Five.

By the President:

LUCAS P. BERSAMIN
Executive Secretary

The Lawphil Project - Arellano Law Foundation

---