President Donald Trump signed an executive order April 21 for flags to be flown at half-staff in Oregon and nationwide to honor Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, died of a stroke and irreversible heart failure in the early morning of April 21 in Vatican City, Rome, at the age of 88 after a prolonged battle with a respiratory illness. His death came less than a day after delivering the Easter blessing.
“He was a good man, worked hard. He loved the world,” Trump said at the 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Pope Francis, who was born to Italian immigrant parents, was elected as the 266th pope in 2013 and was the first non-European pope in more than a millennium as well as the first pontiff from the Americas.
He chose the name “Pope Francis” in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian friar who renounced his wealth to become “a man of peace, a man of poverty, a man who loved and protected creation,” according to the National Catholic Reporter.
Francis was both praised and criticized for speaking on issues related to politics, immigrants and LGBTQ+ issues.
The United State will join several other countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia, who will also fly their flags at half-staff in honor of Pope Francis’ death.
What did President Donald Trump’s proclamation say?
Trump’s proclamation said flags will be flown at half-staff until the end of Pope Francis’ funeral. The proclamation reads:
“As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.”
When is Pope Francis’ funeral?
While the Vatican has not yet announced specific funeral arrangements for Pope Francis, it will likely occur in the next four to six days, during the nine days of mourning, held outside St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@gannett.com or on X at@GinnieSandoval.
