His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith departs for Vatican

 The Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has departed for the Vatican to attend the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, who has passed away. The Cardinal left from the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake at approximately 9:30 a.m. today.

The funeral of Pope Francis is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 26th, at the Vatican, where world leaders, dignitaries, and religious representatives are expected to gather to pay their final respects to the late pontiff.

Cardinal Ranjith, a prominent figure in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka, is expected to represent the Sri Lankan Catholic community at the solemn occasion.

Pope Francis, who served as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, leaves behind a legacy marked by humility, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice and interfaith dialogue.