World leaders set to attend Pope Francis final sendoff
The body of Pope Francis is placed in an open casket during the rite of the declaration of death in Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, April 21, 2025.PHOTO/ REUTERS
What you need to know:
- More than 200,000 people from around the world are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral tomorrow in the huge Vatican square in Rome, Italy.
It is only fitting that US President Donald Trump was among the earliest world leaders to confirm attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday. His Vice President, JD Vance, was, after all, the last global leader to see the Pope on Easter Sunday, shortly before he was pronounced dead on Easter Monday. The Pope and the US leaders had significant areas of divergence in terms of US immigration policy, social justice and care for the marginalised, but the Pope remained willing to engage in the hopes of shifting policy.
Other leaders whom the Pope has either met in the Vatican, and on whose national affairs he has paid keen interest, will also be at the funeral, and these include: the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and various European leaders.
The President of his native Argentina will also be in attendance. The speaker of Uganda’s Parliament, Anita Among will lead Uganda’s official delegation to the burial of Pope Francis. Above is a list of the main world leaders who have so far confirmed that they will attend Pope Francis’ funeral tomorrow in Saint Peter’s Square.
Some DIGNITARIES
1. Argentina, President Javier Milei
2. Belgium, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Prime Minister Bart De Wever
3.Britain, Prince William, Prime Minister Keir Starmer
4. Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, First Lady Janja Lula da Silva
5. European Union Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Antonio Costa, Parliament President Roberta Metsola
6. East Timor, President Jose Ramos-Horta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito Freitas
7. France, President Emmanuel Macron
8. Germany, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz
9. Hungary, President Tamas Sulyok
10. Italy, President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
11. Latvia, President Edgars Rinkevics
12. Lithuania, President Gitanas Nauseda
13. Poland, President Andrzej Duda
14. Romania, nterim President Ilie Bolojan
15. Spain, King Felipe and Queen Letizia
16. Switzerland, President Karin Keller-Sutter
17. Uganda, Speaker of Parliament Anita Annet Among
18. Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy
19. United States of America, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
SOURCE: REUTERS.COM
