Slovenia will observe a national day of mourning for Pope Francis on 26 April, the day of his funeral, as a mark of respect and gratitude for his life's work.

According to a decision taken by the government, flags at all state institutions will be flown at half mast on the day of mourning.

The government also encouraged organisers of various events to commemorate the late pope in an appropriate way such as by observing a minute of silence from 24 to 26 April.

The Slovenian National Assembly observed a minute's silence for the pope on 22 April. Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič labelled him as an extraordinary man and a fighter for peace.

Both President Nataša Pirc Musar and Prime Minister Robert Golob will attend the pope's funeral in St Peter's Square on 26 April.

Meanwhile, Slovenian bishops will be represented at the funeral by Andrej Saje, the bishop of Novo Mesto and head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference.

Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore said Saje was chosen to represent them because it was a busy time of confirmations and it would be hard to make different arrangements on such short notice.

President Pirc Musar, who met Pope Francis three times, most recently in December, has described him as an extraordinary spiritual leader whose voice for peace and justice inspired millions.

"That he passed on Easter Monday only deepens the symbolism of his legacy - a life devoted to hope and renewal," she wrote on X on 21 April, the day of his death.

Golob said Pope Francis would be sorely missed. "He advocated values that I personally believe in. He was also an advocate of change and knew that change does not come overnight but he persevered until the final breath nevertheless."

He described Pope Francis as an extraordinary man, a great fighter for peace, for coexistence between different peoples, between different religions whose message was often misunderstood.

Expressing its deepest respect for People Francis and his exceptional contribution to the global community, the government said "his pontificate has been marked by a steadfast commitment to world peace, the promotion of social justice and equality between people".