Pope Francis funeral: Trump, Zelenskyy, Biden among dignitaries converging on Rome

The Vatican City – The heads of state and officials in rapprochement in Rome will start on Friday at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Saint Peter’s Square, but the group of the poor who will meet his life in the small Krosstown Church is in line with the modest Francis character and wearing contempt for a pillar.

US President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Millie are among the leaders who arrived on Friday, on the last day of the Argentine, the Argentine Pope will offer the state in the Church of St. Peter before his coffin was sealed in the evening in preparation for his funeral on Saturday.

The Vatican said 130 delegations were confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 kings.

Watch “Francis celebration: Popular Pope”, starting from Saturday at 3:30 am Each time / 12:30 am on ABC.

Pay respect

Tens of thousands of mourners waited for hours in the farewell line to Francis, who died on Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88. A higher participation rate than the Vatican expected to extend the opening hours of Basilica overnight.

By Friday morning, more than 128,000 mourners presented the Francis open sarcophagus that was placed in front of the main altar of Basilica – sometimes they prayed, sometimes carrying smartphones – despite the instructions of their lack of existence – for a picture of the late Pope in a red rose, which is a meter saturated for the roof and the rose wandered in his hands.

St. Peter’s Church remained open most of the second night, as it was closed for only a few hours. The mourners began arriving before dawn, and they ran to the square when security reopened the flows.

the pictures: Pope Francis over the years

Pope Francis dies with his arrival to his weekly public audience in the Paul VI Hall, in the Vatican, on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

AP photo/alessandra tarantino

Giovanni Guardo led Napoli with his girlfriend to make their final farewell to Francis, who moved to his work to help young people and those deprived.

“I hope he will follow the footsteps of Francis,” said Guarino.

The three days of public viewing will end at 6 pm on Friday – an hour before it was announced previously – after which the simple wooden coffin will be closed.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will head the closure and seal of the coffin in his role in Camelingo, or the temporary Vatican official. A white cloth will be placed on the Pope’s face, and a bag containing metal coins will be placed through the papacy in the coffin along with a written account from one page on the papacy.

“We will see each other again

Romanian neighbors and retired Airlines camels in Arini and Francesca Kodato came to pay respect for Pope Francis on Friday with very different motives. Balrini, 72, was dealing with her grief, and Kudato, 78, was seeking forgiveness.

As for Palarini, the death of the Pope leaves a hole in her life. While only 16 years old, he considered him a very character. Every morning, she was logging into Facebook for daily transformation, and responding to “a few words”.

Balrini said: “He gave everything, gave all himself, until the end, I spent the last two days crying. I was not going well after his death – I could not even say the word. For me, he flew away. One day, we will see each other again.

Kudato said she is feeling the tremendous guilt towards Francis, after leaving him from the dedication to one of his predecessors, St. John Paul II. When Francis became the Pope “it was strange to me.”

“I feel guilty, because through the videos that I saw these days, I understood that he is a huge human being, near simple people,” she said. “So I came to ask forgiveness, because I feel guilty towards him, like a worm.”

Cardinals in discussions “

The flavor work will not start to choose the new Pope until May 5, after nine days of public mourning.

Cardinals were also arriving in Rome, with 113 meetings Thursday morning to discuss the church’s work. They will meet again on Friday before taking a break for the weekend.

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Pontifical milk collects in the Vatican and follows the traditions of pods.

Cardinal Franuis-Kafih Boslo, who hosted Pope Francis during his last papal journey, to Corsica, last year, reminds Francis as a “free man” “who photographed the church without taking it out.”

He describes the atmosphere within the meetings as “good”, but he said they are not yet “at the point of decisions; we are in discussions.”

Burning the papacy

Watching as the marginalized Francis embraced, the Vatican said that a group of poor and needy would meet the Pope’s death to honor him when he arrived in St. Mary Megor Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become the point of Hajj.

The grave is prepared behind a wooden barrier inside the basilica, chose to be near the Madonna icon, which is often praying before.

The photos released by the Vatican appear on Friday.

Members of the royal family and leaders

Trump, who travels with First Lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to arrive on Friday, after Francis’s coffin was closed.

Among other foreign characters that were confirmed for the papal funeral:

Former President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden

– Ukrainian President Foludmir Zelinsky and First Lady Orena Zelinska

French President Emmanuel Macron

British Prime Minister Care Starmer

Prince William

– King of Spain Felipe VI and Queen Letizia

Hungarian President Victor Urban

Brazilian President Louise Insio Lula da Silva

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