Pope Francis Prays before the Coffin of Italy's former President Giorgio Napolitano who Died at Age 98

Pope Francis prayed in front of the coffin of Italy's former president Giorgio Napolitano. The Pope went to the funeral room in the Senate building in Rome, the Vatican press office announced on Sunday.

With his presence and prayer, Francis wanted to express his "personal affection" for the deceased and his family and to honor Napoletano's great service to Italy. The pope also greeted the former president’s wife and sons, reports Italian television station Tv2000.

It was the first time that Francis entered the Senate building. The former president will lie in state in a locked coffin in a room of the “Palazzo Madama” until Monday afternoon. Several Italian politicians, including President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, have already paid their last respects. The state funeral will take place on Tuesday. 

Napolitano died on Friday at the age of 98. In a letter of condolence to the widow Clio Bittoni Napolitano, Francis praised his "sincere passion for the political life of Italy" and his "lively interest in the fate of the nation." The former communist Napolitano was President of Italy from May 2006 to January 2015 - longer than anyone else.