State Funeral for Former President Jimmy Carter Begins at Washington Cathedral

WASHINGTON—After lying in state at the U.S. Capitol for two days, former President Jimmy Carter is being honored with an official state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9.

The invite-only service, attended by dignitaries and members of Carter’s family, began at 10 a.m. ET. All five living presidents, including former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, and President-elect Donald Trump, are attending.

Carter died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100—the longest-living former president in U.S. history.

Biden, who served in the Senate during Carter’s presidency, will give the eulogy.

The president is expected to talk about Carter’s career inside and outside the White House, such as brokering the Camp David Accords, in which Egypt agreed to normalize ties with Israel, Hofstra University political science professor Meena Bose told The Epoch Times.

Kimberly Martin Tecklenburg, a political science professor at Georgia Southern University, said speakers are likely to discuss Carter’s work through Habitat for Humanity after leaving the White House.

Related Stories

“The speakers and hymns at the service will highlight President Carter’s values of faith, humility, and dedication to public service,” she told The Epoch Times.

“We will likely hear about his humble beginnings in rural Georgia, his time in office, and his work promoting human rights and a more just world. President Carter’s funeral will undoubtedly be an emotional reflection on a man whose life was marked by service and faith.”

The solemn procession of Carter’s casket from the Capitol Rotunda, where he has laid in state since Jan. 7, to the Washington National Cathedral will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Jan. 9 as members of the military will take the coffin down the Capitol steps and put it in a hearse for the 24-minute drive. Upon arrival at the Gothic cathedral, the casket will be carried inside by members of the military.

Following the service, which is scheduled to last an hour or so, Carter and his family members will fly from Joint Base Andrews for his final trip back home to Georgia.

Holding the funeral at the cathedral is “a sign of respect being paid to a former president,” David Zarefsky, a history professor at Northwestern University, told The Epoch Times.

After all, the location is significant and historical, agreed other experts.

“The cathedral’s mission is to open its doors to the nation at times of joy, mourning, and national significance,” Tecklenburg said. “State funerals at the cathedral are carefully planned to reflect the former president’s legacy.”

Additionally, the timing of the funeral is noteworthy.

“Less than two weeks before a presidential inauguration, Carter’s funeral service will highlight accomplishments and challenges in the 20th century as well as their implications for 21st-century American and global politics,” Bose said.

“Carter’s lifelong dedication to service, from his naval career to Georgia politics to the White House to his extensive post-presidential domestic and international public agenda, will present many moments for the general public and public officials to reflect upon how one individual can make a difference to improve people’s lives.”