News / International
President and Grace Mugabe in Rome
19 Oct 2014 at 10:22hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe and First Lady Grace Mugabe have arrived in Italy for today's beatification of Pope Paul VI by Pope Francis at a double mass at The Vatican.
resident Mugabe will join an expected nine other world leaders and tens of thousands of other believers for this penultimate step in Paul VI's ascension to sainthood at a ceremony before the towering dome of St Peter's Basilica.
Indications are that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who worked with Paul VI decades ago and who was to briefly head the church, will also attend.
President Mugabe and his wife were met at Fiumicino International Airport by senior Zimbabwean diplomats and Vatican representative Monsignor Simone.
Paul VI was born in 1896 and reigned as pontiff from 1963 until his death in 1978.
He is one of a few church leaders who have risen to pope without having been a cardinal.
He turned down that appointment though he did serve as Archbishop of Milan, Italy's biggest diocese.
Paul VI was the first pope to visit Africa, and also sought to improve Catholic ties with the Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant denominations.
resident Mugabe will join an expected nine other world leaders and tens of thousands of other believers for this penultimate step in Paul VI's ascension to sainthood at a ceremony before the towering dome of St Peter's Basilica.
Indications are that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who worked with Paul VI decades ago and who was to briefly head the church, will also attend.
President Mugabe and his wife were met at Fiumicino International Airport by senior Zimbabwean diplomats and Vatican representative Monsignor Simone.
Paul VI was born in 1896 and reigned as pontiff from 1963 until his death in 1978.
He is one of a few church leaders who have risen to pope without having been a cardinal.
He turned down that appointment though he did serve as Archbishop of Milan, Italy's biggest diocese.
Paul VI was the first pope to visit Africa, and also sought to improve Catholic ties with the Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant denominations.
Source - SundayMail
