As the world prepares to bid farewell to Pope Francis, a multitude of high-profile global leaders are descending upon Rome.
Thousands of devout Catholics are also congregating at the Vatican to pay their respects on the final day of the Pope's lying in state. The Vatican has confirmed that at least 130 foreign delegations, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs, will be present at the pontiff's funeral in St. Peter Basilica's tomorrow.
Among the heads of state making their way to the Italian capital today are US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, and Argentine President Javier Milei, according to the Daily Mail. The guest list for tomorrow's ceremony also includes UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Irish premier Micheal Martin, and Ireland's President Michael D Higgins. Representing the British monarchy, Prince William will attend the funeral on behalf of King Charles. Other royal attendees include Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, the King and Queen of Sweden, and the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway.
In anticipation of the influx of dignitaries, Italian and Vatican authorities have initiated a massive security operation around St Peter's Square. Drones have been prohibited, snipers have been stationed on rooftops, and fighter jets are on standby. Additional security checkpoints will be activated tonight.
The Vatican is finalizing preparations for Pope Francis' funeral today as the last of the mourners file through St Peter's Basilica to view his open coffin. Over the past three days, nearly 130,000 people from around the globe have come to bid farewell to the pontiff, who passed away on Monday in his rooms at the Vatican's Santa Marta hotel after suffering a stroke. His coffin was brought to St. Peter's on Wednesday.
Tomorrow's funeral in St Peter's Square is expected to draw vast crowds. The event will bring together the highest-ranking members of the Catholic Church and major political leaders to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis. A no-fly zone will be in effect during the funeral, and at least 130 foreign delegations are expected to attend. President Trump, who will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to arrive today after the sealing of Francis' coffin.
The seating arrangement for the funeral mass has not yet been released by the Vatican. However, tradition suggests that precedence for front row seating will be given to Catholic royalty. Foreign dignitaries will likely be seated in a large block on one side of the coffin, across from the cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, and archbishops. Catholic royals will occupy the front row, followed by non-Catholic royals, including the Prince of Wales. World leaders, heads of states, and other foreign dignitaries will then be seated behind them.
Despite being among the first to confirm his attendance, President Trump is expected to have a 'third-tier seat.' This arrangement may not sit well with Trump, who previously mocked his predecessor Joe Biden for having to sit in the rear at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral three years ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will not be attending the mass, offered his condolences late Thursday. His delayed response has been attributed to strained ties with the Vatican, as Pope Francis had repeatedly criticized Israel's conduct in Gaza. Israel will be represented at the funeral by its ambassador to the Vatican.
The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, has described the recent days since the Pope's death as 'deeply emotional.' He also expressed confidence in the Vatican's ability to manage the enormous gathering of high-profile attendees, stating that the organizers 'are geniuses at dealing with these big events.'
Meanwhile, queues of faithful continue to file into St. Peter's throughout the night and in the early hours of Friday, on the last day to bid farewell to Pope Francis ahead of his funeral on Saturday. The Basilica was open for most of the night, shutting its doors for only three hours between 2.30am and 5.30am. Francis' coffin will be closed at 8pm (6pm GMT) today in a ceremony attended by senior cardinals.
After his funeral tomorrow, the coffin will be driven at a walking pace to be buried at Francis' favorite church, the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. Mourners in the final queues to see the pope's remains have expressed their gratitude to the late pontiff. Nicoletta Tomassetti, 60, who visited the Basilica in the very early hours of Friday morning, said: 'Night is the most intimate moment, the Lord always manifests himself at night. It was very emotional, in prayer, I asked the pope for some things and I know he will give them to me.'
The Argentine pontiff, who had long suffered failing health, defied doctors' orders by appearing at Easter, the most important moment in the Catholic calendar. It would be his last public appearance. Condolences have flooded in from around the world for the Jesuit, an energetic reformer who championed those on the fringes of society in his 12 years as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. He used his last speech to rail against those who stir up 'contempt... towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants'.
Following Saturday's open-air funeral in the square, Francis's remains will be taken through the streets of Rome in another break with tradition, as his body is brought to a simple underground tomb in the basilica of Saint Mary Major, as per his instructions. The hearse will pass down Rome's Fori Imperiali - where the city's ancient temples lie - and then the Colosseum, according to officials. Big screens will be set up along the route on which to watch the ceremony, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said.
Cardinal Nichols said this will 'enlarge the stage on which this is played out, and will give the people of Rome, especially, something that they will appreciate very deeply'. He added: '(Pope Francis's) favorite title was 'I'm Bishop of Rome', so they will say goodbye to their bishop.'
The pontiff was a champion of underdogs, and a group of 'poor and needy', will be at Santa Maria Maggiore to welcome the coffin, the Vatican said. Francis will be interred in the ground, his simple tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus.
People will be able to visit the tomb from Sunday morning, as all eyes turn to the process of choosing Francis's successor. Cardinals from around the world have been returning to Rome for the funeral and the conclave, when a new pontiff will be elected. They have yet to announce a date for the conclave, but it must begin no fewer than 15 days and no more than 20 days after a pope's death. Only those under the age of 80 - currently some 135 cardinals - are eligible to vote.
Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was number two to Francis, is the favorite, according to British bookmakers William Hill. They put him ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila, followed by Ghana's Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.
Cardinal Nichols, who will be one of three UK cardinals to take part in the conclave process to elect the next pope, likely beginning in just over a week's time, has also spoken of the weight felt by those who will choose a successor.
He described being chosen as pope as 'a moment of a mini death, almost' for someone who at that point places 'themselves into the hands of the Church to be offered to God'. On his thoughts about a future pontiff, Cardinal Nichols said: 'I think the next pope is going to have to carry on that work (by Francis) of speaking to the hearts of people about hope, about the mercy of God, about the highest calling of what it means to be a human being.'
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