Vatican lays Pope Francis to rest

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have departed Rome aboard Air Force One, making a swift exit shortly after the funeral mass concluded at the Vatican.

Before his departure for Rome on Friday, Trump had described the upcoming funeral as “going to be very interesting,” while speaking to reporters at the White House.

“We’re going to meet with a lot of the foreign leaders – they want to meet,” he added, referencing the global tensions stirred by the heavy tariffs the US administration had recently introduced.

During the ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica, Trump briefly spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photographs from the event also captured Trump alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The coffin of Pope Francis has reached its final destination at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

Crowds looked on in solemn silence as pallbearers gently lifted the late pontiff’s coffin from the popemobile and carried it into the basilica.

In a break from recent tradition, Pope Francis chose not to be buried within the Vatican walls. Instead, he will be laid to rest in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore — a decision that reflects his lifelong emphasis on humility and simplicity. He becomes the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican.

A solemn motorcade wound its way through the streets of Rome, carrying the body of Pope Francis on his final journey. Thousands of mourners lined the roads, many waving flags, clapping, holding photos, or holding up signs as the procession passed. The motorcade offered people from all walks of life a chance to say their last goodbyes.

The White House announced that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a "highly productive" meeting ahead of Pope Francis' funeral.

White House communications director Steven Cheung said, "President Trump and President Zelensky met privately today and had a highly productive discussion," adding that further details would be announced later.

For his part, a Ukrainian spokesperson confirmed that Zelenskyy and Trump would meet again on Saturday.

His Majesty King Abdullah II, accompanied by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, attended Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.

Leaders from around the world gathered to pay their respects to the late pontiff at Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Pope Francis passed away last Monday after a long life dedicated to advocating for world peace and the values of justice, tolerance, and love.

His Majesty had met with Pope Francis several times between 2013 and 2024, including during the 2014 papal pilgrimage to Jordan, which included a visit to the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ (Bethany Beyond the Jordan).

Various world leaders were seen in attendance at Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday.

The Vatican said at least 130 foreign delegations had confirmed their attendance at Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs.

In an atmosphere filled with sorrow and reverence, the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled in preparation for Pope Francis’ funeral.

The late Pope Francis and King Abdullah shared a close relationship rooted in mutual respect and a common vision for a world guided by compassion, dialogue, and justice.

His Majesty King Abdullah II held six meetings with Pope Francis during the late pontiff’s time at the Vatican, where the two leaders discussed the importance of interfaith dialogue and promoting peaceful coexistence among nations.

The meetings reflected a shared commitment to religious harmony and highlighted Jordan’s pivotal role in safeguarding religious heritage in the region. Central to the discussions was the Hashemite Custodianship over Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem—an arrangement that King Abdullah reaffirmed as vital to preserving the city’s sacred identity and ensuring access to worship for all faiths.

King Abdullah also stressed Jordan’s dedication to protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land, including maintaining and supporting key religious sites, most notably the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ, known as Al-Maghtas.

Both leaders expressed concern over escalating tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories, with King Abdullah calling for an end to settler violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The meetings underscored the urgent need to revive efforts toward a just and lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution.

St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican began welcoming crowds starting at 5:30 AM on Saturday, in preparation for the final farewell ceremony for Pope Francis.

Mourners from around the world gathered in an atmosphere filled with sorrow and reverence, taking part in the historic funeral that brought together world leaders, church representatives, and people from across the globe to honor an extraordinary religious figure who carried a message of peace and love until his final moments.

The Vatican said at least 130 foreign delegations had confirmed their attendance at Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs.

Here is a list of VIP guests whose offices have confirmed they will be in Rome, as of Friday 20:30 (GMT+3).

Americas

• ARGENTINA: President Javier Milei
• BELIZE: Governor General Froyla Tzalam
• BRAZIL: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
• CANADA: Governor General Mary Simon
• DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: President Luis Abinader
• ECUADOR: President Daniel Noboa Azin
• HONDURAS: President Xiomara Castro
• UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
• UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump. Former president Joe Biden is also attending

Europe

• ALBANIA: President Bajram Begaj
• ANDORRA: Co-Prince Joan-Enric Vives Sicilia
• ARMENIA: President Vahagn Khachaturyan
• AUSTRIA: President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Christian Stocker
• BELGIUM: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, with Prime Minister Bart De Wever
• BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: President Zelika Cvijanovic
• BULGARIA: Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov
• CROATIA: President Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic
• CYPRUS: President Nikos Christodoulides
• CZECH REPUBLIC: Prime Minister Petr Fiala
• DENMARK: Queen Mary
• ESTONIA: President Alar Karis
• EUROPEAN UNION: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa
• FINLAND: President Alexander Stubb
• FRANCE: President Emmanuel Macron
• GEORGIA: President Mikheil Kavelashvili
• GERMANY: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
• GREECE: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
• HUNGARY: President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban
• ICELAND: President Halla Tomasdottir
• IRELAND: President Michael Higgins plus Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin
• ITALY: President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
• KOSOVO: President Vjosa Osmani
• LATVIA: President Edgars Rinkevics
• LIECHTENSTEIN: Prince Alois and Princess Sophie
• LITHUANIA: President Gitanas Nauseda
• LUXEMBOURG: Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prime Minister Luc Frieden
• MALTA: President Myriam Spiteri Debono
• MOLDOVA: President Maia Sandu
• MONACO: Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene
• MONTENEGRO: President Jakov Milatovic
• NETHERLANDS: Prime Minister Dick Schoof
• NORTH MACEDONIA: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova
• NORWAY: Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide
• POLAND: President Andrzej Duda
• PORTUGAL: President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro
• ROMANIA: Interim president Ilie Bolojan
• RUSSIA: Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova
• SERBIA: Prime Minister Djuro Macut
• SLOVAKIA: President Peter Pellegrini
• SLOVENIA: President Natasa Pirc Musar and Prime Minister Robert Golob
• SPAIN: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
• SWEDEN: King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, as well as Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
• SWITZERLAND: President Karin Keller-Sutter
• UKRAINE: President Volodymyr Zelensky
• UNITED KINGDOM: Prince William, representing head of state King Charles III, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Middle East

• IRAN: Culture Minister Abbas Salehi, representing President Masoud Pezeshkian
• ISRAEL OCCUPATION: Yaron Sideman, Ambassador to the Holy See
• JORDAN: King Abdullah II and Queen Rania
• LEBANON: President Joseph Aoun
• PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa
• QATAR: Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani
• UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Africa

• ANGOLA: President Joao Lourenco
• BURUNDI: Vice President Prosper Bazombanza
• CAPE VERDE: President Jose Maria Neves
• CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: President Faustin-Archange Touadera
• DR CONGO: President Felix Tshisekedi
• GABON: President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema
• KENYA: President William Ruto
• LESOTHO: King Letsie III
• MADAGASCAR: President Andry Rajoelina
• MOROCCO: Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch
• MOZAMBIQUE: President Daniel Chapo
• SEYCHELLES: President Wavel Ramkalawan
• SIERRA LEONE: President Julius Maada Bio
• SOUTHERN AFRICA: Cardinal Stephen Brislin, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference
• TOGO: President Faure Gnassingbe

Asia Pacific

• AUSTRALIA: Governor General Sam Mostyn
• BANGLADESH: Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus
• EAST TIMOR: President Jose Ramos Horta
• INDIA: President Droupadi Murmu
• INDONESIA: President Joko Widodo
• KENYA: President William Ruto
• NEW ZEALAND: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon
• PHILIPPINES: President Ferdinand Marcos