CNN
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The official state funeral in Washington, DC for former President Jimmy Carter will be held on January 9, the White House confirmed Monday.
President Joe Biden declared January 9 as a National Day of Mourning in a proclamation on Sunday, hours after Carter’s passing at the age of 100.
“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us. He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe,” Biden said of Carter.
Biden will deliver a eulogy at the funeral service of Carter, a White House official said Monday, a marquee moment for Biden to pay tribute to his longtime friend at the Washington National Cathedral in the waning days of his own presidency.
“President Carter exemplified what it means to translate faith into action,” the Washington National Cathedral wrote in a statement. “From his selflessness and humanitarian spirit, we draw inspiration. And from his example of fidelity and generous faith, we find hope that we might yet learn to embody his example of good and faithful service.”
It’s a speech Biden has long been planning to give. He told donors last year that Carter asked him to deliver the eulogy.
Public observances honoring Carter’s legacy will be held in Atlanta and Washington, DC, followed by a private interment in Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia, according to The Carter Center, though final arrangements are still underway.
The Joint Task Force-National Capital Region in the Department of Defense will ultimately conduct the ceremonies.
Biden delivered a heartfelt speech on Sunday about his personal experiences with Carter and how their families provided each other support in their shared battles against cancer.
“This is a sad day, but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories,” Biden said, taking time out of his St. Croix vacation for the previously unscheduled speech. “America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and humanitarian, and Jill and I lost a dear friend.”
The president, who said he’d been “hanging out with Jimmy Carter for more than 50 years” said Carter “lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds.”
“To know his core, you need to know he never stopped being a Sunday school teacher at that Baptist school in Plains, Georgia,” he said.
Biden called Carter “just as courageous in his battle against cancer as he was in everything in his life,” and talked about how the illness had impacted both their lives.
“Cancer was a common bond between our two families, as in many other families, and our son, Beau, died – when he died, Jimmy and Rosalynn were there to help us heal,” Biden said.
He said he and the first lady “did our best to comfort him” when Carter himself was diagnosed.
“We talked and he shared our beliefs that as a nation we have the talent and the resources to one day end cancer as we know it,” Biden said.
Jimmy Carter’s life in pictures
Biden told reporters he had spoken with all of Carter’s children and that his team was “working with his family and others to see to it that he’s remembered appropriately.”
An outpouring of love from around the world emerged as people celebrated Carter’s life as a humanitarian, faith leader, politician and Navy veteran. World leaders, nonprofit organizations, military personnel and politicians from across the aisle, especially in his home state of Georgia, honored his work in eradicating disease, brokering peace in the Middle East, advancing civil rights and overseeing free and fair elections across the globe, with many of them highlighting his moral compass and sense of decency.
CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.
