adminMabasa Sasa in Rome
PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived here yesterday morning for the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at Vatican City today.
Accompanied by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa and senior Government officials, President Mugabe was received at Fiumicino International Airport by Vatican City Secretary of State Father Owen Keenan, and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Italy, David Hamadziripi.
President Mugabe, a life-long Roman Catholic, will join around 40 other world leaders to witness Pope Francis canonise the two late popes.
This is the first time in Catholic Church history that two popes will be canonised on the same day.
Local media reports indicate that hundreds of thousands of people have been flocking to Rome since the Easter holiday for the canonisation of the popes.
About 250 000 people are expected to throng St Peter’s Square for the ceremony, which local media say will not involve any glitz and glamour, in line with Pope Francis’ reputed “no-frills” approach.
derick.khumalo