World3 min(s) read
Published 10:42 26 Apr 2025 GMT
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was met with a round of applause as he attended Pope Francis’ funeral.
World leaders from around the globe gathered at the Vatican to pay their respects to the late pope, who passed away on Easter Monday (April 21) at the age of 88 following a sudden stroke and irreversible heart failure.
The open-air funeral mass in St. Peter’s Square has drawn an estimated 200,000 mourners, according to BBC News.
The seating arrangement followed a strict order of diplomatic precedence, with Argentina and Italy at the front, and other nations seated alphabetically in French.
Among the leaders paying tribute were U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer, and the Prince of Wales, who represented King Charles.
It marked the first time Prince William has represented the monarch at an international funeral.
Former UK PM Rishi Sunak, accompanied by his wife Victoria and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, also attended. Irish President Michael D. Higgins, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, and Tanaiste Simon Harris paid their respects inside St. Peter’s Basilica.
Zelenskyy, 47, appeared to receive a round of applause from the gathered crowd as he left St. Peter’s Basilica after paying tribute to the late Pope.
Before the funeral, he met with President Trump for what White House communications director Steven Cheung described as a “very productive discussion," per The Independent.
Cheung indicated that the two leaders are expected to meet again following the service.
Pope Francis made history as the first Latin American pontiff.
Over more than a decade, he championed the rights of the marginalized, called for global peace, and remained steadfast in his mission despite health challenges including hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and chronic respiratory issues.
At his funeral, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re eulogized Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone,” praising his informal and spontaneous style that resonated with the "least among us," per The Guardian.
"He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised, the least among us," he said.
Re added: "He was also a pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the church."
The cardinal recalled the Pope’s final public appearance: delivering a blessing from the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
In his homily, he emphasized Francis' belief that the Church is "a home for all, a home with its doors always open... a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds".
The homily was followed by the liturgy of the Eucharist, where bread and wine were consecrated and shared.
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)