The relationship between President Donald Trump and Pope Francis was marked by fundamental ideological differences and public disagreements, particularly on immigration. Their tensions began in 2016 when Francis criticized Trump's border wall proposal, stating that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian."12 Trump responded forcefully, calling the pope's comments "disgraceful" and suggesting that if ISIS attacked the Vatican, the pope "would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President."12

Despite their differences, the two leaders met once at the Vatican in 2017, where Trump described their encounter as "fantastic" while photographs captured a smiling Trump beside a somber-looking Francis.13 Their relationship deteriorated further when Francis condemned Trump's policies of separating migrant children from their parents as "immoral"4 and, most recently, criticized Trump's renewed mass deportation plans as "a disgrace" that "begins badly and will end badly."56 While Trump initially praised Francis in 2013 as a "humble man, very much like me,"1 their relationship ultimately represented one of the most strained between a U.S. president and the Vatican in recent history.7

The death of Pope Francis activated a series of carefully orchestrated rites that have been streamlined according to his own wishes. In 2023, Francis revised the traditional papal funeral protocols to emphasize his role as "a pastor and disciple of Christ and not a powerful man of this world."12 The process began with Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, officially confirming Francis' death in a ceremony at the pope's chapel in Casa Santa Marta rather than in his bedroom.23

The simplified protocol includes several key changes from tradition:

• Francis' body was placed directly in a wooden coffin with a zinc lining, rather than the traditional three coffins (cypress, lead, and oak)124

• The body was displayed facing the pews in St. Peter's Basilica, not on an elevated bier as in previous papal funerals25

• Francis requested burial at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome instead of beneath St. Peter's Basilica46

• Before sealing the coffin, a white cloth was placed over the pope's face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy was included alongside a document summarizing his pontificate2

The funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter's Square will draw an impressive gathering of global dignitaries. Among the confirmed attendees are US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.123

Other notable attendees include:

• Argentina's President Javier Milei, representing the Pope's homeland12

• Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and First Lady Janja14

• Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde1

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer2

• Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia2

• Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier2

• Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese4

Notably absent will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose Kremlin spokesperson confirmed he has "no such plans" to attend.2 The Vatican has limited official diplomatic delegations to five people per country, with exceptions for Italy and Argentina, which is similar to the protocol followed at Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005, which was one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in history.5

President Trump announced his plans to attend Pope Francis' funeral via his Truth Social platform on Monday, April 21, stating: "Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!"12 The announcement came shortly after he ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff "as a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis."13

Earlier that day, during the White House Easter Egg Roll event, Trump paid tribute to the late pontiff, calling him "a very good man who loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time."4 When initially asked about attending the funeral, Trump was noncommittal, telling reporters: "I don't know. We're going to be briefed on it right now," and adding that he would "have to look at the timing."56 The trip to Rome will mark Trump's first foreign visit of his second administration, replacing a previously planned May visit to Saudi Arabia.1