The Telegraph: Trump may be disappointed to learn of his place at the Pope's funeral
The funeral of the pontiff, who died on the morning of 21 April, will be attended by more than 50 heads of state.
US President Donald Trump may be deeply disappointed to learn that during the funeral of Pope Francis he will presumably get a seat only in the third row among foreign dignitaries. This is according to the British publication The Telegraph, citing the experience of previous papal ceremonies.
Although the Vatican has not yet officially released the seating chart, the publication notes that the analogy was taken from the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005. At that time, the places of honour in the front row were traditionally occupied exclusively by Catholic hierarchs. Next were representatives of monarchies and other faiths, such as the Prince of Wales, the King of Sweden and his wife, and the Crown Princes of Norway. Only behind them were usually seated world leaders, including presidents and prime ministers.
Heads of state including Trump, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni and Argentine leader Javier Miley are expected to take seats in the second or third block to the side of the coffin. The allocation of seats will be done in alphabetical order in French - as is customary in diplomatic practice.
The publication recalls that Trump had earlier wryly mocked Joe Biden for his seat in the 14th row at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, calling it a manifestation of the decline in the international status of the United States. He then said that if he were president, he would have sat much closer to the front row.
Meanwhile, Biden himself, according to CBC News, plans to attend Pope Francis' funeral on 26 April with his wife Jill Biden. The US president had a warm and enduring relationship with the pontiff, starting with Francis' visit to Washington in 2015.
Pope Francis passed away on the morning of 21 April in his 89th year as a result of a stroke. The coffin containing his body was placed for the farewell at St Peter's Basilica, a ceremony that will last three days. After the funeral, the Vatican will begin preparations for the conclave, at which cardinals will elect a new head of the Catholic Church in the first half of May.