EU flag drapes coffin of Sassoli, head of bloc's parliament
ABC News
With a state funeral, Italy has paid tribute to David Sassoli, the president of the European Union's parliament, who died earlier in the week
ROME -- With a European Union flag draping the coffin, Italy conducted a state funeral Friday for David Sassoli, the EU parliament's president who died earlier in the week.
Top EU officials including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel attended the service in Holy Mary of the Angels church in Rome's Republic Square. Also present were Italy's President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Mario Draghi.
Sassoli, 65, died in an Italian hospital on Tuesday. He had suffered for months from poor health following pneumonia caused by the legionella bacteria and abnormal functioning of his immune system.
Bologna Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a friend of Sassoli's, said in a homily: “For him, politics had to be for the common good. That's why he wanted a united Europe, with its founding values, and he worked so that its institutions functioned well."
