More than 170 foreign dignitaries, including dozens of heads of state, are expected to attend the funeral and burial of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. He died from heart failure following a stroke. According to the Vatican, world leaders began arriving in Rome on Friday ahead of the funeral Mass for the late Pope, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM CET in St. Peter’s Square. About 250 cardinals, a large number of bishops and priests, and over 120,000 religious brothers and sisters are also expected to attend the ceremony. Although popes are traditiona

More than 170 foreign dignitaries, including dozens of heads of state, are expected to attend the funeral and burial of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88. He died from heart failure following a stroke. According to the Vatican, world leaders began arriving in Rome on Friday ahead of the funeral Mass for the late Pope, scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM CET in St. Peter’s Square. About 250 cardinals, a large number of bishops and priests, and over 120,000 religious brothers and sisters are also expected to attend the ceremony. Although popes are traditionally buried beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis chose Santa Maria Maggiore church as his final resting place. This basilica, located near Rome’s Termini train station, was his favorite. He often visited it during his final days as his health declined. Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Rome’s major basilicas and was the first to be dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the 14th century. Among the prominent leaders confirmed to attend are U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. President Trump described the pope as “a very good man” who “loved the world” and ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast in his honor. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend, and Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William will represent the British royal family. Other high-level dignitaries include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and First Lady Janja Lula da Silva, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with First Lady Lisa Marcos. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella will also be present, along with Argentine President Javier Milei. European leaders expected to attend include French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Spanish King Felipe and Queen Letizia. Others include Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Croatia’s President Zoran Milanović, Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Denmark’s Queen Mary. African leaders who have confirmed attendance include Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi, Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, and Cape Verde’s President José Maria Neves.

Pope Francis was widely admired for his humility and compassion toward marginalized communities. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, he was elected Pope in 2013. He became the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and took the name Francis. He was the first Pope from the Jesuit order, the first from the Americas, and the first non-European Pope since the 8th century.

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