ROME — Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga has arrived in Rome, joining hundreds of world leaders for the burial of Pope Francis — in a trip that carries heavy political symbolism back home.

Chiwenga’s journey marks the first time since the late President Robert Mugabe that a top Zimbabwean leader has traveled to the Vatican on official business. Mugabe, a devout Catholic, famously attended high-profile Vatican ceremonies during his time in office, reinforcing his image as Zimbabwe’s undisputed statesman.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday after suffering a stroke and irreversible cardiovascular collapse. His death plunged the global Catholic community — numbering over 1.3 billion faithful, including over a million Zimbabweans — into mourning.

Vice President Chiwenga, a devout Catholic himself, was dispatched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to represent Zimbabwe at the final rites. The Pope will be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, a personal choice by Francis in honour of his lifelong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This breaks with recent papal tradition, though six other Popes have been buried at the Basilica before him.

President Mnangagwa, in a formal eulogy, praised the Pope’s “grace, moral leadership and theological insight,” reflecting Zimbabwe’s official condolences to the Catholic world.

However, it is Chiwenga’s presence at the Vatican — arriving aboard a specially arranged flight — that has reignited quiet speculation about his enduring stature and political positioning within Zimbabwe’s leadership. His trip, highly public and diplomatically significant, is reminiscent of the globe-trotting Mugabe, who often used similar appearances to reinforce his image as Zimbabwe’s rightful head of state on the world stage.

Chiwenga’s appearance among presidents, prime ministers, and royalty at the Pope’s burial ceremony — a gathering also attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres — sends a powerful visual message at a time when succession questions continue to swirl quietly in Harare.

The Vice President’s public profile has fluctuated since his key role in the 2017 military-assisted transition that ousted Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa. His Vatican mission now stands out as a rare moment of solo international prominence — one that some analysts may interpret as a subtle reminder of where real power and legitimacy within Zimbabwe’s fractured political establishment could ultimately lie.

The Vatican reports that more than 2,000 international journalists have been accredited to cover the funeral, highlighting the global significance of the event. Zimbabwe Newspapers 1980 Limited, the country’s largest media group, is among those covering the burial.

Pope Francis will be laid to rest tomorrow at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

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