World leaders started arriving in Rome on Friday earlier than Pope Francis’s weekend burial, a ceremony that, though extra low-key than standard, remains to be set to be a historic occasion.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday from coronary heart failure following a stroke on the age of 88, was broadly widespread for what many noticed as his humility and compassion for marginalised folks.
The passing of a pope represents a momentous shift for the Catholic Church, and burial rites and the eventual number of a brand new papal chief are all often elaborate affairs. Nevertheless, the late Pope Francis had requested for an easier funeral: His physique will probably be buried in a easy coffin manufactured from wooden and lowered into an unmarked tomb.
Nonetheless, the funeral roll name, which options 170 overseas dignitaries, together with dozens of heads of state, will make the occasion a rare political gathering. Since not all of the attendees see eye to eye, there’s additionally more likely to be a splash of diplomatic awkwardness.
Right here’s what we find out about who will probably be attending.
What time is the pope’s funeral?
The ceremony will start at 10am CET (08:00 GMT) on Saturday, April 26. It is going to be held at St Peter’s Sq. within the Vatican.
Popes are often buried beneath St Peter’s Basilica, however Santa Maria Maggiore church, a brief stroll from town’s Termini central prepare station, is the pope’s alternative as his closing resting place.
Throughout his lifetime, the church was Pope Francis’s favorite, and he visited usually in his closing days as his well being weakened. Santa Maria Maggiore is one in every of Rome’s main basilicas and the primary to be devoted to the Virgin Mary again within the 14th century.
Who’s going to the pope’s funeral?
A number of heads of state and royals have confirmed their attendance in Rome for the funeral on Saturday. A few of them have had nice interactions with the pope throughout his lifetime, however he didn’t all the time agree with others.
US President Donald Trump and First Woman Melania Trump
Trump mentioned the late pope was a “superb man” who “liked the world”. America president ordered that flags be flown at half-mast.
Nevertheless, the 2 males didn’t all the time get on so effectively.
Pope Francis has criticised the Trump administration’s anti-immigration insurance policies. Throughout Trump’s first presidency from 2017 to 2021, the pope additionally spoke towards the US-Mexico border wall, saying an individual who builds partitions as an alternative of bridges was “not Christian”.
Trump snapped again on the time, saying the pope’s questioning of his religion was “disgraceful”.
The 2 met in 2017 when Trump visited the Vatican. He mentioned the pope was “actually good” and that they’d had a “unbelievable” assembly.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
In an announcement following the pope’s dying, Starmer mentioned he was “deeply saddened” by the information. “His management in a posh and difficult time for the world and the church was usually brave, but all the time got here from a spot of deep humility,” he mentioned.
William, Prince of Wales
Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William will symbolize the UK’s royal household in Rome.
In an announcement, King Charles mentioned Pope Francis could be remembered for his compassion. “By way of his work and look after each folks and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many,” he mentioned.
Earlier in April, the King and Queen Camilla visited the pope whereas on a visit to Italy.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Woman Olena Zelenska
The pope referred to as for peace in Ukraine amid the continuing warfare following Russia’s invasion.
Final October, Zelenskyy met the pontiff within the Vatican – the final of a number of conferences between the 2.
However there was additionally stress: In March 2024, the pope mentioned of the Ukraine warfare: “Once you see that you’re defeated, that issues usually are not going effectively, you need to have the braveness to barter.”
Ukraine strongly criticised that viewpoint.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and First Woman Janja Lula da Silva
Brazil is dwelling to the most important Catholic inhabitants on the earth, with greater than 100 million believers.
President Lula declared a seven-day mourning interval to mark Pope Francis’s dying on Monday. He had met him a number of occasions.
In an announcement, Lula mentioned: “We have been capable of share our beliefs of peace, equality, and justice – beliefs that the world has all the time wanted, and can all the time want.”
Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and First Woman Lisa Marcos
The Philippines is one other main Catholic nation. Practically 80 p.c of the inhabitants establish as Catholic.
In 2015, the pope visited the capital, Manila, drawing thousands and thousands to an outside mass there.
In an announcement, President Marcos Jr described Pope Francis as a person who led “not solely with knowledge however a coronary heart open to all”.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella
Meloni met the pope a number of occasions. However whereas her authorities has usually pushed insurance policies that many see as anti-migrant, Pope Francis referred to as for an embrace of migrants in Italy, citing the nation’s low birthrate.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei
The late pope was Argentinian and was archbishop of Buenos Aires earlier than his ascension to papal management. Argentina declared every week of mourning following his dying.
Milei, whose right-wing insurance policies differ sharply from the pope’s extra left-leaning tendencies, visited him on the Vatican in February 2024. Up to now, Milei referred to as the pope a “leftist”.
Different VIPs embody:
- UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres
Europe
- French President Emmanuel Macron
- Polish President Andrzej Duda
- EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen
- Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz
- Moldova’s President Maia Sandu
- Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde
- Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia
- Eire’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin
- Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic
- Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics
- Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia
- Denmark’s Queen Mary
- Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker
- Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov
Asia Pacific
- India’s President Droupadi Murmu
- Bangladesh’s Interim chief Muhammad Yunus
- New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
Latin America
- Dominican Republic President Lui Abinader
- Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa
Africa
- Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi
- Central Africa Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadera
- Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema
- Cape Verde’s President Jose Maria Neves
Who will NOT attend?
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not going to be current. Each are topic to worldwide arrest warrants on allegations of warfare crimes.
Is diplomatic awkwardness to be anticipated?
Sure, some tense encounters are anticipated on the gathering. US President Donald Trump’s current commerce tariffs and feedback on the Ukraine and Gaza wars have contributed to an more and more tense geopolitical local weather.
Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy will probably be assembly in particular person for the primary time since their very tense February encounter on the White Home, throughout which Trump scolded Zelenskyy for not negotiating with Russia and his Vice President JD Vance lambasted him for a scarcity of “gratitude” in the direction of the US. This week, Trump scolded Ukraine once more for refusing to recognise Russia’s management of Crimea.
Nevertheless, an alphabetical-order seating association means they’ll a minimum of not be seated subsequent to one another.
Zelenskyy advised reporters this week that he had requested for a gathering with Trump on the sidelines of the funeral. It’s not clear but if the US has agreed.
There may be tensions between Trump and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who has criticised Trump’s tariff warfare, calling it “pointless”.
What occurred on the burial of the final Pope?
Pope John Paul II’s April 2005 funeral ceremony stays memorable for a number of awkward moments, because it introduced various nations with fragile relations collectively. The pope led from 1978 to 2005.
A crowd jeered at former US President George Bush after his face appeared on mounted displays due to his function within the Iraq warfare, which was ongoing on the time. Bush, who sat beside his rivals – Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad – was additionally famous to have ignored them. In earlier statements, Bush had referred to the nations as an “axis of evil” and “outpost of tyranny”.
King Charles, who was then the UK’s Prince of Wales, in the meantime dedicated a blunder when he shook palms with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. The 2 nations had poor relations on the time: The UK had accused Zimbabwe of committing human rights violations by seizing land from wealthy white farmers to distribute to the nation’s deprived Black majority. Prince Charles later apologised for the pleasant greeting and referred to as Zimbabwe’s insurance policies “abhorrent”.
Then, there was one other handshake that was not presupposed to occur, this time between historic enemies: Iran’s Khatami and Israeli President Moshe Katsav, inflicting an uproar and hypothesis that ties may quickly be mended. Khatami dashed any hopes of this just a few days later, nevertheless, when he denied that the handshake ever occurred.
China-Taiwan relations have been additionally strained additional by the funeral. Within the days main as much as it, China had railed on the Vatican for inviting Taiwan and boycotted the occasion. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian later accused the Vatican of sidelining him by refusing to supply him with translators and thus lowering his possibilities of chatting with different world leaders.
