Funeral of Pope Francis: who will attend the ceremony and how the mass will be held

Today, more than 100 delegations from all over the world are arriving in Rome, the Italian capital, to pay tribute to the late Pope Francis. The official presence of 10 members of the royal family, 50 heads of state, as well as numerous ministers and ambassadors from various countries has now been confirmed. The funeral of the Holy Father is scheduled for Saturday morning, reports UNN.

Who will be present at the funeral ceremony 

According to EuroNews, more than 130 high-ranking officials are expected to attend the Pope's funeral ceremony, including 50 heads of state, 10 members of royal families, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Irish President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina, and others.

Regarding the presence of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the funeral ceremony, he not only plans to attend the Mass, but also, according to La Repubblica sources, "Kyiv itself has approached Italy and other European partners through diplomatic channels to organize a wider summit on Ukraine" in Rome on the sidelines of the funeral of Pope Francis.

US President Donald Trump, who ordered the American flag to be lowered at the White House in honor of the late Pope Francis, has also confirmed his visit to Rome for the funeral ceremony.

His predecessor, Joe Biden, as CBS notes, will also be present at the Mass, although the former US head has not officially announced this.

In a conversation with BFMTV, Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that he will attend the funeral of Pope Francis.

How attendees will be seated at the funeral ceremony

A day before the start of Pope Francis' funeral ceremony, there are still many uncertainties about how officials will be seated in front of St. Peter's Basilica.

According to Vatican protocols, places for officials should be marked in the order of the French alphabet. Thus, the place of the President of Ukraine (Ucraïna) should be marked with the letter "U", and the President of the United States (États-Unis) with the letter "E". According to this, Donald Trump, who was one of the first to announce his presence, may sit between two African states: Eswatini and Ethiopia, whose representatives are also on the list of those present at the ceremony.

Due to the expected large number of attendees and, accordingly, the density of seating, the Vatican has created a new protected area behind the steps of the basilica, in front of the statue of St. Paul.

It is assumed that former officials of countries, such as former US President Biden, may be placed there.

As Le Repubblika notes, it is currently known that the presidents of countries and members of royal families will sit to the right of the churchyard, where Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will celebrate Francis' funeral.

In the first row will be Italian President Mattarella with his daughter Laura and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni together with Argentine President Milei and his delegation. In the same row, closest to the coffin of Pope Francis, will sit the presidents of other countries. Behind them will be the heads of government or ministers of countries who were sent to the ceremony, followed by ambassadors.

Members of Catholic royal houses will be placed in the second row. Great Britain will be represented by Prince William, Spain by Felipe with Queen Letizia, Belgium by Philippe and Mathilde. Prince Albert of Monaco with his wife Charlene will also sit here.

Behind them will be members of non-Catholic royal houses, such as Swedish King Gustav and his wife Silvia and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway with Princess Mette-Marit.

According to Le Repubblika, the Dutch royals Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima refused to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, as the date coincides with "King's Day".

Next will be representatives of the governments of other countries, arranged in descending order of importance, starting with the head of the delegation.

Strict dress code - mandatory

The strict dress code for such events, required by the Vatican, remains unchanged for many years. The color of the attendees' attire must be black. For men - a suit with a button on the left lapel of the jacket and a black tie. For women - a long black dress (no higher than the knees) or a mantle. The only permitted decoration is a string of pearls.

How the funeral ceremony will proceed

Today, April 25, at about 20:00, the coffin of the Pope will be sealed during a solemn ceremony led by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell.

Tomorrow, April 26, it will go on its final journey through St. Martha's Square and the Roman Proto-Martyrs, through the arch under the bell tower to St. Peter's Square and to the tomb of Santa Maria in Rome through the main entrance. In the basilica, the body of the Holy Father, according to his will, will remain for eternal rest in the hope of resurrection. The procession will begin at 10 a.m. local time. The funeral mass will mark the beginning of the Novemdiales - nine days of mourning and masses for the repose of the soul of the deceased Pope.

Earlier, UNN wrote that the coffin of Pope Francis will be sealed during a liturgical rite that will take place in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday at 8:00 p.m. local time, before the pontiff's funeral on Saturday morning.