The Romanian government on April 24, 2025, approved declaring April 26, 2025, a day of mourning in Romania in memory of Pope Francis, on the very day of the pope’s funeral at the Vatican.

„A spiritual and moral leader, Pope Francis stood out for his active involvement in the life of contemporary society, a profound personality, also appreciated by the Romanian people. A cherishment particularly highlighted on the occasion of the apostolic visit to Romania in 2019. All central and local public bodies and authorities will fly the flag of Romania at half-staff. Also, the flag of Romania at half-staff is also hoisted at the headquarters of political parties, trade unions, employers’ associations, educational establishments of any degree, cultural organisations and diplomatic missions of Romania, at border crossings, in airports, ports, train stations and bus stations, as well as as as a flag on ships of any kind and on boats sailing under the Romanian flag,” according to governmental spokesman Mihai Constantin.

The same obligation is incumbent on individuals, if they fly the Romanian flag at home or at their residence.

At the same time, radio and television stations, as well as cultural organisations will adjust their programmes accordingly.

The decision declaring the national day of mourning was taken under Law 75/1994 on the hoisting of the Romanian flag by public bodies and institutions that says the flag of Romania at half-staff is hoisted on days of national mourning established by the government.

Most recently, national mourning was decreed in Romania on December 14, 15 and 16, 2017, in memory of King Mihai I (1927-1930; 1940-1947), who died on December 5, 2017, at his residence in Switzerland, and his funeral took place on December 16, 2017, in the New Cathedral of Curtea de Arges.

September 2, 2016 was also declared a day of national mourning, in memory of the Romanian citizens who died in a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that shook the central part of Italy on August 24, 2016, in solidarity with the Italian people. The earthquake killed 281 people including 11 Romanian nationals.

August 13, 2016 was declared a day of national mourning in memory of Queen Anne, on the same day that her funeral took place at the Curtea de Arges Monastery. Queen Anne, the wife of King Mihai I of Romania, died on August 1, 2016, at the age of 92, at the Morges Hospital in Switzerland. The Royal Family announced great mourning for the first seven days after the funeral and mourning for forty days.

In Romania, another national mourning day was March 24, 2016, in solidarity with the victims of attacks in Brussels, Belgium. The attacks at Zaventem International Airport and Maelbeek metro station in Brussels on 22 March 2016 left 35 people dead and more than 300 injured.

Days of national mourning were also declared on October 31, November 1 and 2, 2015, in memory of the victims of a fire at the Colectiv Club in Bucharest, on the evening of October 30, that killed 65 people.

June 26, 2013 was a day of national mourning as a sign of respect for 18 Romanians who lost their lives in a bus accident in Montenegro.

On April 18, 2010 in another day of national mourning, the victims of a plane crash in Smolensk, in which 96 people lost their lives, including President of Poland Lech Kaczynski, were commemorated.

August 3, 2007, when the funeral of Romania’s Christian Orthodox Patriarch Teoctist, who led the Romanian Christian Orthodox Church (BOR) for 21 years, took place, was also declared a day of national mourning.

Other days of national mourning in the country were April 8, 2005, the funeral of Pope John Paul II; March 14, 2004, in memory of the Romanian citizens victims of terrorist attacks in Spain; September 14, 2001, after terrorist attacks in the United States; January 12, 1990, in memory of the victims of the 1989 December Revolution.

AGERPRES