Several world leaders have confirmed their plans to be in attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday in Vatican City.
The ceremony, expected to attract large crowds to St. Peter’s Square, follows the pope’s passing on Monday at the age of 88. The pontiff reportedly suffered a cerebral stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible heart failure.
Nigeria Standard had previously reported the death of Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Argentina, who made history as the first Latin American pope.
Below is a breakdown of notable figures expected to attend the service:
From the Americas:
— President Donald Trump of the United States, in a post on social media, confirmed his attendance alongside his wife, Melania: “We look forward to being there!” In a separate message, he added: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”
— Argentina’s President Javier Milei, who leads the pope’s homeland, also intends to be present. Despite a historically complex relationship between Francis and Argentine politics, Milei acknowledged the pontiff’s “goodness and wisdom.”
From Europe:
— President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council head Antonio Costa, are among EU representatives heading to Rome.
— Spain’s royal family, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, will be there, with the king describing Pope Francis as “an enormous ethical beacon of our world, of our time.”
— French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be present as well, having cut short his trip to overseas territories following the pope’s demise. He told reporters: “We will attend the pope’s funeral as we should.”
— Germany will be represented by both Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. However, Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz will not be present, despite expressing “great sorrow” at the pope’s death, due to political commitments following his party’s February electoral win.
— UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office confirmed his attendance, though Buckingham Palace has not yet indicated whether King Charles III will join.
— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will attend alongside First Lady Olena Zelenska. Zelensky praised the pope for having “prayed for peace in Ukraine.”
— The Kremlin stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin, currently under an ICC arrest warrant due to the war in Ukraine, will not attend the funeral.
— From Belgium, Prime Minister Bart De Wever, King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde are expected. The royal couple last met Pope Francis during a mass in Belgium in September 2024, which was among the pope’s final trips abroad.
— Polish President Andrzej Duda has declared a national day of mourning to coincide with the funeral and will be in attendance with his wife.
— Portugal will send both President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro to lead the nation’s delegation.
— Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, accompanied by Prime Minister Robert Golob, have also confirmed their participation in the solemn event.
