World leaders began arriving in Rome on Friday before Pope Francis’s weekend burial, a ceremony that, although more low-key than usual, is still set to be a historic event.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday from heart failure following a stroke at the age of 88, was widely popular for what many saw as his humility and compassion for marginalised people.
The passing of a pope represents a momentous shift for the Catholic Church, and burial rites and the eventual selection of a new papal leader are all usually elaborate affairs. However, the late Pope Francis had asked for a simpler funeral: His body will be buried in a simple coffin made of wood and lowered into an unmarked tomb.
Still, the funeral roll call, which features 170 foreign dignitaries, including dozens of heads of state, will make the event an extraordinary political gathering. Since not all the attendees see eye to eye, there’s also likely to be a dash of diplomatic awkwardness.
Here’s what we know about who will be attending.
What time is the pope’s funeral?
The ceremony will begin at 10am CET (08:00 GMT) on Saturday, April 26. It will be held at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Popes are usually buried beneath St Peter’s Basilica, but Santa Maria Maggiore church, a short walk from the city’s Termini central train station, is the pope’s choice as his final resting place.
During his lifetime, the church was Pope Francis’s favourite, and he visited often in his final days as his health weakened. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s major basilicas and the first to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary back in the 14th century.
Who is going to the pope’s funeral?
Several heads of state and royals have confirmed their attendance in Rome for the funeral on Saturday. Some of them have had pleasant interactions with the pope during his lifetime, but he did not always agree with others.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
Trump said the late pope was a “very good man” who “loved the world”. The United States president ordered that flags be flown at half-mast.
However, the two men did not always get on so well.
Pope Francis has criticised the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies. During Trump’s first presidency from 2017 to 2021, the pope also spoke against the US-Mexico border wall, saying a person who builds walls instead of bridges was “not Christian”.
Trump snapped back at the time, saying the pope’s questioning of his faith was “disgraceful”.
The two met in 2017 when Trump visited the Vatican. He said the pope was “really good” and that they’d had a “fantastic” meeting.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer
In a statement following the pope’s death, Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” by the news. “His leadership in a complex and challenging time for the world and the church was often courageous, yet always came from a place of deep humility,” he said.
William, Prince of Wales
Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William will represent the UK’s royal family in Rome.
In a statement, King Charles said Pope Francis would be remembered for his compassion. “Through his work and care for both people and planet, he profoundly touched the lives of so many,” he said.
Earlier in April, the King and Queen Camilla visited the pope while on a trip to Italy.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska
The pope called for peace in Ukraine amid the ongoing war following Russia’s invasion.
Last October, Zelenskyy met the pontiff in the Vatican – the last of several meetings between the two.
But there was also tension: In March 2024, the pope said of the Ukraine war: “When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate.”
Ukraine strongly criticised that viewpoint.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and First Lady Janja Lula da Silva
Brazil is home to the largest Catholic population in the world, with more than 100 million believers.
President Lula declared a seven-day mourning period to mark Pope Francis’s death on Monday. He had met him several times.
In a statement, Lula said: “We were able to share our ideals of peace, equality, and justice – ideals that the world has always needed, and will always need.”
Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and First Lady Lisa Marcos
The Philippines is another major Catholic country. Nearly 80 percent of the population identify as Catholic.
In 2015, the pope visited the capital, Manila, drawing millions to an outdoor mass there.
In a statement, President Marcos Jr described Pope Francis as a man who led “not only with wisdom but a heart open to all”.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella
Meloni met the pope several times. But while her government has often pushed policies that many see as anti-migrant, Pope Francis called for an embrace of migrants in Italy, citing the country’s low birthrate.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei
The late pope was Argentinian and was archbishop of Buenos Aires before his ascension to papal leadership. Argentina declared a week of mourning following his death.
Milei, whose right-wing policies differ sharply from the pope’s more left-leaning tendencies, visited him at the Vatican in February 2024. In the past, Milei called the pope a “leftist”.
Other VIPs include:
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Europe
- French President Emmanuel Macron
- Polish President Andrzej Duda
- EU Commission 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
- Ireland’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 leader 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 will not be present. Both are subject to international arrest warrants on allegations of war crimes.
Is diplomatic awkwardness to be expected?
Yes, some tense encounters are expected at the gathering. US President Donald Trump’s recent trade tariffs and comments on the Ukraine and Gaza wars have contributed to an increasingly tense geopolitical climate.
Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy will be meeting in person for the first time since their very tense February encounter at the White House, during which Trump scolded Zelenskyy for not negotiating with Russia and his Vice President JD Vance lambasted him for a lack of “gratitude” towards the US. This week, Trump scolded Ukraine again for refusing to recognise Russia’s control of Crimea.
However, an alphabetical-order seating arrangement means they’ll at least not be seated next to each other.
Zelenskyy told reporters this week that he had asked for a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the funeral. It’s not clear yet if the US has agreed.
There could also be tensions between Trump and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who has criticised Trump’s tariff war, calling it “unnecessary”.
What happened at the burial of the last Pope?
Pope John Paul II’s April 2005 funeral ceremony remains memorable for several awkward moments, as it brought a number of countries with fragile relations together. The pope led from 1978 to 2005.
A crowd jeered at former US President George Bush after his face appeared on mounted monitors because of his role in the Iraq war, which was ongoing at the time. Bush, who sat beside his rivals – Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad – was also noted to have ignored them. In previous statements, Bush had referred to the countries as an “axis of evil” and “outpost of tyranny”.
King Charles, who was then the UK’s Prince of Wales, meanwhile committed a blunder when he shook hands with Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe. The two countries had poor relations at the time: The UK had accused Zimbabwe of committing human rights violations by seizing land from rich white farmers to distribute to the country’s disadvantaged Black majority. Prince Charles later apologised for the friendly greeting and called Zimbabwe’s policies “abhorrent”.
Then, there was another handshake that was not supposed to happen, this time between historical enemies: Iran’s Khatami and Israeli President Moshe Katsav, causing an uproar and speculation that ties might soon be mended. Khatami dashed any hopes of this a few days later, however, when he denied that the handshake ever happened.
China-Taiwan relations were also strained further by the funeral. In the days leading up to it, China had railed at the Vatican for inviting Taiwan and boycotted the event. Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian later accused the Vatican of sidelining him by refusing to provide him with translators and thus reducing his chances of speaking to other world leaders.