John Swinney to attend funeral of Pope Francis

First Minister John Swinney will travel to Rome tomorrow to represent Scotland at the funeral of Pope Francis.

The pontiff died on Monday at the age of 88. His funeral will be held on Saturday, with heads of state and government from around the world expected to attend alongside faith leaders.

Swinney said: "His Holiness Pope Francis was a voice for peace, tolerance and reconciliation who had a natural ability to connect with people of all ages, nationalities and beliefs. On behalf of the people of Scotland, I am deeply honoured to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome to express my sorrow, thanks and deep respect for the compassion, assurance and hope that he brought to so many."

The invitation was made by the Holy See, the central governing body of the Catholic Church and the Vatican City.

Born in Argentina, Francis was the first Latin-American elected to the papacy. 

He was elevated to the role in 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

He appeared before crowds in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, the day before his death, and had been suffering from a respiratory crisis that developed into a double pneumonia.