Funerals can often be contentious events, and Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday — at which dozens of (often combative) world leaders will be seated in the same space — is no exception.
From President Donald Trump, to whom the pope expressed his displeasure about Trump’s hostility to immigration, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — who recently rejected Trump’s offer that he concede territory to Russia — the papal funeral is a moment when different factions, perhaps frustratingly, may have to interact with one another. And the possibilities of tension, secret conversations and disappointment over seating arrangements abound.
Secret conversations and disappointment over seating arrangements will abound.
Indeed, a growing list of dignitaries and delegations from 130 countries around the world planning are attending the event. And so it’s only natural that political tensions bleed into the funeral of a pope who had pointed opinions about the way many world leaders conducted their affairs. His opinions include opposition to current wars, disappointment at the way Israel responded to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, and even annoyance at the way Vice President JD Vance, a relatively recent Catholic convert, attempted to use Catholic theology to defend loving immigrants less than people in the U.S.
Some tensions were spilling out even before Saturday’s funeral. Immediately after Francis’ death, some Israeli leaders initially sent messages of condolence via social media. But then those diplomats were ordered to delete those messages and not to sign any condolence books in Vatican embassies.
While a message of condolence was sent by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t send anything. Israel erasing expressions of sympathy that were sent and directing its officials not to sign the book of condolence can perhaps be traced to Francis’ statement about Israel in December 2023 that “this is war, this is terrorism,” which Israel interpreted as Francis’ support for Hamas.
It can be easy to forget that the Vatican is an ecclesiastical state that was established in 1929. That means that Francis was not only the head of the Catholic Church but that he was also a head of state. Therefore, his final service serves as both a religious and a state funeral, and the list of dignitaries and delegations present is a recognition of the pope’s role as someone who speaks not just to Catholics but to other world leaders. Francis did that throughout his 12-year papacy, through statements, encyclicals and visits to 68 countries.
Don’t expect to see Trump, the so-called leader of the free world, front and center.
As for seating arrangements, Trump, the so-called leader of the free world, did not get center placement. Argentina — where the future pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born Dec. 17, 1936 — was given the most prominent spot upfront. Then there’s Italy, because that country surrounds the Vatican and because the pope is the bishop of Rome. Next are reigning monarchs, seated ahead of other heads of state whose countries will be alphabetically arranged according to their names in French.
According to the Holy See press office, Trump, president of États-Unis, falls between leaders from Estonia and Finland. Those world leaders will be seated in one block of the Basilica to one side of Francis’ coffin, while cardinals, bishops and other ecclesiastical figures will be seated at the other. While the arrangements were made carefully, the close quarters of the seating in the Basilica mean less personal space than usual. The apostolic nuncios, the papal ambassadors to each country, are responsible for smoothing out all of these issues and for handling any hurt feelings. They are also responsible for their country’s delegations. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio for the United States, is responsible for the American delegation. He has his hands full, especially with Trump. Vance acknowledged Trump’s prior run-ins with Francis while on a visit to India, saying, “I’m aware he had disagreements with some of the policies of our administration. I’m not going to soil the man’s legacy by talking about his politics. I think he was a great Christian pastor and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father.” I think he was a great Christian pastor and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father. Shrewd watchers of papal intrigue and politics are interested in Trump’s American delegation, how world leaders like France’s Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer interact with Trump, and how the tensions within the European Union play out with Zelenskyy’s presence. Francis was at times a vocal critic of governments and leaders in the service of protecting the disenfranchised and the poor. But his funeral is a moment for those whom he critiqued to pay their respects to a religious leader with a strong moral compass who may have sometimes irked them, but who also earned their respect. The apostolic nuncios, the papal ambassadors to each country, are responsible for smoothing out all of these issues and for handling any hurt feelings. They are also responsible for their country’s delegations. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio for the United States, is responsible for the American delegation. He has his hands full, especially with Trump. Vance acknowledged Trump’s prior run-ins with Francis while on a visit to India, saying, “I’m aware he had disagreements with some of the policies of our administration. I’m not going to soil the man’s legacy by talking about his politics. I think he was a great Christian pastor and that’s how I choose to remember the Holy Father.”
Anthea Butler is a professor of religious studies and Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania. 
