Zagreb, 22 April 2025 (Hina/MIA) — Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said Tuesday that the government would likely declare a day of mourning for Pope Francis on Saturday when the funeral of the deceased Holy Father is scheduled.

He made this statement after the central commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Ustasha-run Jasenovac concentration camp.

At the commemoration, Plenković met and had a brief conversation with President Zoran Milanović after a long time, during which they discussed the death of Pope Francis.

On Easter Sunday, Plenković and his family were in the Vatican and had a brief meeting with the Holy Father.

He described their last meeting, which occurred privately in Rome after the Pope's Easter message to "the city and the world."

"It was clear that he was in a serious health condition, but still, you could feel his warmth, cheerfulness, and the desire to fulfill his mission to the end. It was a great pleasure for me, as well as for my wife and children," Plenković explained.

For the public, Plenković emphasized, "I must say that the meeting happened at the initiative of the Vatican protocol, not ours, as we were there privately and did not want to burden him in any way. But since I was the highest-ranking official there, the invitation came, and we accepted it with pleasure."

"I say this because of the truly vile comments of certain people on social media, which in Croatia often reach shameless proportions, and this is one of the worst, completely unnecessary, and utterly uninformed."

The Prime Minister also announced that the government plans to declare a day of mourning in Croatia on Saturday, the day of Pope Francis' funeral. "We are still waiting for all the protocol details, but I would certainly attend the funeral," he responded to a journalist's question.

Plenković also mentioned that he and President Milanović had discussed the Defense Council, which will meet in the second half of May, after the first round of local elections.

He told the President that if they have any suggestions, additions, changes, or corrections regarding the documentation that the government has sent to the President's Office, they should let them know.