Who will and will not attend the Pope's funeral?

This Saturday, St. Peter's Square in the Vatican will witness the funeral of Pope Francis. The death of Jorge Mario Bergoglio last Easter Monday opens a series of unknowns, Among them will be those who will attend the Pope's funeral. The ceremony is scheduled for April 26 at 10 a.m., after the coffin has spent three days in a chapel of rest. Once the ceremony is over, the Pope's body will be transferred to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. his grave.

Pedro Sánchez and Vladimir Putin: notable absences

The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will not attend Pope Francis' funeral. This was confirmed by the Moncloa (Spanish National Council): First Vice President María Jesús Montero will attend in his place. Vladimir Putin will also not attend the ceremony: the Russian president "has no plans" to attend, and it is not yet clear who will represent Russia at the event, according to the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Spanish Cardinal Antonio Cañizares will not travel to Rome for health reasons, as explained by the Valencian bishopric. Therefore, he will not be able to attend the conclave: for the moment, 133 cardinals will be able to decide who will be the next pope.

The world leaders who have confirmed their attendance

The Spanish kings, Leticia and Felipe, have already assured that they will be present at the funeral of Pope Francis. On the Spanish side, in addition to María Jesús Montero, the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, the Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, and the leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, will also attend. The leader of the PP has been invited by the government, as has happened on other occasions (Mariano Rajoy attended Juan Pablo's funeral in 2005 while José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was president).

On the international level, Prince William of Wales has confirmed his attendance in place of King Charles III, according to Kensington Palace. The list also includes Volodymir Zelensky, He emphasized that Pope Francis had always prayed for "peace in Ukraine and for the Ukrainians." The Ukrainian president will be joined by many other world leaders, including Donald Trump. The American president, who did not have the best of relations with the pontiff, has reported via Truth Social that both he and Melania Trump will travel to Rome: "We are very much looking forward to being there." at the funeral service and, although he is no longer a government official, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also expected to attend the event just hours after the pontiff's death, despite his opposition to the policies of the Argentine president.

At this point, these are the authorities expected at the Vatican on Saturday. The event, officiated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, will have the attention of the entire world. This Wednesday, Pope Francis' body will be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica, where it will lie in state for thousands of faithful who will come to bid farewell. pontiff who tried to change the Church.