Egypt Daily News – The cardinals at the Vatican have scheduled Pope Francis’s funeral for Saturday morning. A massive turnout is expected, including worshippers and world leaders such as the German leadership, Presidents Trump and Macron, among others. One notable absentee will be President Putin.
A day after his death, Catholic cardinals announced on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) that Pope Francis’s funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Saturday (April 26) in St. Peter’s Square, paving the way for a grand ceremony that will be attended by leaders from around the world.
The Vatican stated that Pope Francis, aged 88, died on Monday at 7:30 a.m. following a stroke and heart failure.
A large German delegation is expected at the funeral. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz plan to attend the farewell. The Federal President’s Office confirmed on Tuesday, in response to a query from the German Press Agency (DPA), that Steinmeier will lead a major German delegation at the funeral.
German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit also confirmed that Scholz will accompany the president. It remains unclear whether Scholz’s likely successor, Friedrich Merz, will also travel to Rome.
Leaders of other German constitutional bodies—namely the Bundestag (Federal Parliament), Bundesrat (Federal Council), and the Federal Constitutional Court—are also expected to attend.
From Réunion Island, French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed, “We will attend the Pope’s funeral in a manner befitting him.”
Trump to attend despite past disagreements with the Pope
U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously clashed with Pope Francis over immigration, announced that he and his wife will travel to Rome for the funeral. Trump hasn’t traveled abroad since taking office in January. On his social media platform “Truth Social,” he wrote: “Melania and I will go to Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome. We’re looking forward to it!”
This will be his first international trip of his second term.
Putin will not attend the funeral
The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, putting to rest speculation that he might attend despite the international arrest warrant against him.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, “The president has no such plans.” He added that Moscow has yet to decide who will represent Russia at the funeral.
China’s Foreign Ministry extended condolences on Tuesday but said it had no information on who might attend from Beijing.
European officials confirm their attendance
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will attend the funeral in Rome, according to their spokespersons.
Polish President Andrzej Duda and First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda will also travel to Rome. Poland declared Saturday, the day of the funeral, a national day of mourning. Italy has declared five days of national mourning.
Kensington Palace announced that Prince William, the Prince of Wales, will attend Pope Francis’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on behalf of King Charles.
Other attending world leaders include Javier Milei, President of Argentina (Pope Francis’s birthplace), Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
