Global dignitaries and religious figures are preparing to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday in Vatican City — but former U.S. President Donald Trump may be less than pleased with his assigned seating.
Following a decline in health, the 88-year-old Pope passed away on Easter Monday, initiating a nine-day mourning period that culminates with his funeral this weekend.
Crowds of mourners have already come to pay their respects, though security personnel have had to intervene due to inappropriate actions by some visitors, including snapping photos and taking selfies with the late pontiff’s body.
However, Trump’s expected seat far from the front row isn’t due to any misbehavior — rather, it’s a matter of protocol.
The former president has a well-documented history of conflict with Pope Francis. Their tensions date back to 2016 when the Pope criticized Trump’s proposal for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, remarking that those who focus on constructing barriers rather than building connections are not acting in the spirit of Christianity.
Trump responded sharply, calling the Pope’s remarks “disgraceful,” and controversially suggested that in the event of an ISIS attack on the Vatican, the Pope would have wished Trump were president to prevent such an event.
Trump has also publicly mocked seating arrangements in the past. When President Joe Biden was seated 14 rows back at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Trump used the opportunity to suggest that he would have received a better spot and that the country would be in a different state under his leadership.
Now, however, Trump finds himself in a similar position. Due to strict Vatican traditions, he is reportedly set to be seated in a so-called “third-tier” area. This hierarchy places Catholic royalty in the prime front-row spots, followed by non-Catholic royals like Prince William, who will represent King Charles at the ceremony.
Heads of state, foreign dignitaries, and world leaders are expected to sit just behind the royals.
Nonetheless, Trump has at least been included on the guest list — unlike Russian President Vladimir Putin, who remains excluded due to an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Confirmed attendees include UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The seating chart for the event will reportedly be based on the alphabetical order of countries’ names in French — the diplomatic language used in establishing such formal protocols.