VATICAN: List Of World Leaders Set To Attend Pope Francis' Funeral

VATICAN: List Of World Leaders Set To Attend Pope Francis’ Funeral

Several world leaders have indicated that they will come to Rome for Pope Francis’ burial on Saturday, which is expected to gather a large audience in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Here is a list of the expected VIP guests:

I] Americas

~ US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will attend. Trump said in a social media post: “We look forward to being there!”

BREAKING: President Trump announces that he and First Lady Melania will be attending Pope Francis’ funeral:

“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!” pic.twitter.com/oRGZIDbI22
— FLOTUS Report (@MELANIAJTRUMP) April 21, 2025

~ President Javier Milei of Argentina, where the pope was born in 1936, will attend, his office said.

The pope had a delicate relationship with politics in his homeland, but Milei hailed his “goodness and wisdom”.

~ Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will attend with wife Jana, his government said.

Lula has noted that Francis “vigorously criticised the economic models that have brought so much injustice to humanity”.

II] Europe

“It’s been a very different, more humble approach to his funeral compared to his predecessors."

Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday with a humble funeral attended by world leaders – including Trump and Zelensky – having chosen a simple casket and burial to reflect his… pic.twitter.com/UmJTcvFdaW
— Times Radio (@TimesRadio) April 22, 2025

~ EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, will both travel to Rome.

~ UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend, and Prince William will also go to represent head of state King Charles III.

~ Ireland’s President Micheal Higgins and his wife will travel to Rome for the ceremony, his office said, along with Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

~ Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will attend, the royal palace said. Felipe called the pontiff “an enormous ethical beacon of our world, of our time”.

~ French President Emmanuel Macron, who cut short a visit to the Indian Ocean region after the pope’s death, told reporters: “We will attend the pope’s funeral as we should.”

From Buenos Aires to Rome, Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest. To unite people with one another and with nature. May this hope be reborn endlessly beyond him.

To all Catholics, to a grieving world, my wife and I send our thoughts. pic.twitter.com/UTmNxC1r4V
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 21, 2025

~ Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also expected, along with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will lead Germany’s delegation. Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz, will not attend.

~ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said Francis had “prayed for peace in Ukraine”, will attend with his wife, Olena Zelenska.

~ Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over his invasion of Ukraine, will not attend, the Kremlin said.

Putin praises Pope Francis

Says he built ties with Russia in the ‘MOST benevolent way’ https://t.co/GOkigsrb4V pic.twitter.com/sBv1UAiy9j
— RT (@RT_com) April 22, 2025

~ Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever will attend, as will King Philippe and Queen Mathilde.

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~ Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, who declared a national day of mourning for Saturday, will be among the mourners with his wife.

~ Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro will lead a delegation to the ceremony.

~ Hungary’s President Tamas Sulyok confirmed his attendance, as did Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker, and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, who will be there with Prime Minister Robert Golob.

All three Baltic presidents will attend: Gitanas Nauseda of Lithuania, Edgars Rinkevics of Latvia, and Alar Karis of Estonia.

VATICAN: List Of World Leaders Set To Attend Pope Francis’ Funeral