Former President Jimmy Carter: Multi-day memorial service begins

The six-day funeral ceremonies for the late former President Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) began with a moving ceremony in Atlanta. , the coffin of the Nobel Prize winner, who died on December 29th at the age of 100, was initially laid out in the Carter Presidential Center, where the public can say goodbye until Tuesday morning.

On the way to the center, the funeral procession first stopped at Carter’s birthplace, Plains, Georgia. In front of the farm where the future president spent his childhood, the National Park Service rang a historic bell – 39 times, symbolizing Carter’s role as the 39th President of the United States.

The convoy was met at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta by Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Mayor Andre Dickens. After a moment of silence, the casket was transported to the Carter Presidential Center.

The funeral ceremonies will last several days. On Tuesday, the body will be returned to Washington DC, where a memorial service will be held at the Capitol. The national funeral service follows Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. The coffin then returns to Georgia.

Private burial will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church. Carter will be buried next to his wife Rosalynn (1927-2023), who died in November 2023 at the age of 96. Flags at all federal buildings will fly at half-mast for 30 days.

Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. After his presidency, he campaigned for human rights and humanitarian projects for decades. For this commitment he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.