DULUTH — U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber will attend Pope Francis' funeral Saturday.
The Hermantown Republican and devout Catholic will join a bipartisan delegation of U.S. representatives and senators attending the funeral in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. Francis died Monday at 88.
"I am deeply honored to join a bipartisan group of lawmakers in attending the funeral of Pope Francis this weekend," Stauber said in a statement.
In 2014, Stauber, then a Duluth police officer and St. Louis County commissioner, was among a group of 11 Northlanders making a six-day pilgrimage to Rome. While attending Francis' weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, the "popemobile" stopped in front of Stauber, allowing him to give Francis a zucchetto, or skull cap, he had purchased the day before, and, in exchange, Francis removed his zucchetto and gave it to Stauber.
"Over a decade ago, during a pilgrimage to Rome, I had the privilege of exchanging a zucchetto with Pope Francis — a moment that holds profound personal and spiritual meaning for me as a devout Catholic. It will be a privilege to stand alongside dignitaries from around the world in paying our final respects to him," Stauber said Friday.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, died of a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular arrest, according to Reuters. Pope Francis had served as the leader of the Catholic Church since 2013.
The U.S. House delegation, led by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, also includes:
- Rep. French Hill, R-Arkansas.
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California.
- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania.
- Rep Ann Wagner, R-Missouri.
- Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-New York.
- Rep. John Joyce, R-Pennsylvania.
- Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wisconsin.
- Rep. Laura Gillen, D-New York.
The U.S. Senate delegation, led by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, includes:
- Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Illinois.
- Sen. Michael Rounds, R-South Dakota.
- Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts.
- Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri.
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