World leaders are making their way to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
The 88-year-old pope passed away on Monday, April 21, following a battle with double pneumonia over recent months.
Numerous global dignitaries are anticipated to arrive in Italy today to participate in the commemoration of Pope Francis’ life. Among them is Irish President Michael D Higgins, who has already arrived and paid his respects at St Peter’s Basilica.
By Friday morning, roughly 130,000 mourners had visited to pay their respects to Pope Francis, including a Brazilian priest who stirred controversy by taking a selfie next to the pontiff’s body.
President Higgins will be alongside Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Prince of Wales – representing the King, US President Donald Trump, and a host of other leaders and dignitaries.
The outdoor funeral service for the pope is expected to last approximately 90 minutes before his remains are moved to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
There is speculation that President Trump will be seated in the third row during the funeral, which has come as a surprise to some.
According to Euro News, seating will not be based on importance. Instead, attendees will be arranged in alphabetical order—specifically, the French alphabetical order.
Since America is ‘États-Unis’ in French, Trump will be seated with other nations starting with E in French, such as Ethiopia (Ethiopie).
This seating arrangement will also apply to other notable figures at the funeral, although a Vatican spokesperson has stated that Argentina, the pope’s birth country, and then Italy will be given precedence.
After that, reigning monarchs will be seated in French alphabetical order, followed by heads of state.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of Catholics in England and Wales, anticipates that the funeral will be a ‘masterpiece’ in managing ‘big egos’.
The cardinal, who is set to participate in his first conclave to select a new pope in the upcoming weeks, noted that the funeral organizers are experienced in handling the delicacies of such grand events.
During a conversation with the PA news agency in Rome, he stated: “In the past, I’ve seen it here over and over again that the combination of Rome and the Holy See, they actually are geniuses at dealing with these big events.
“I think they’ve been doing it since the emperors ruled Rome – that they know how to deal with big egos.
“And I think every leader of a nation that comes here on Saturday will go home reasonably content.”