Pope Francis' funeral seating chart revealed: Trump, Biden could share awkward moment in Rome

The upcoming funeral of Pope Francis will be a historic gathering of world leaders, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Updated on: Apr 26, 2025, 10:43:35 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, might share an awkward moment at Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday as the two are expected to be seated close by, in the third row, according to the funeral seating plan. While the Vatican has not released official details yet, Polish pontiff John Paul II's funeral in 2005 offers insights into seating arrangements.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be at Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday (AFP)

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Several heads of state, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, are expected to attend the pope's funeral. Delegations from over 130 countries and at least 10 reigning monarchs will also be in Rome.

However, like John Paul II's funeral, foreign leaders are expected to be seated on one side of Pope Francis' coffin and members of the church on the other. The Telegraph studied previous Vatican funerals to report that royals like Prince William and monarchs from Sweden and Norway would be seated in the front two rows.

Global leaders at the funeral

World leaders, including Trump and Biden, might have to share seats on the third row.

“For the funeral of John Paul II, Catholic European royalty, such as the King and Queen of Spain and those of Belgium, were given priority and seated at the front,” Catherine Pepinster, a former editor of The Tablet and a commentator on the Catholic Church, told The Telegraph.

“Next came the non-Catholic royalty – so Prince Charles, representing his mother, Elizabeth II, along with the Scandinavians and the Dutch. Then came the foreign dignitaries such as the US president, who at the time was George W. Bush," he added.

Other figures expected to be in attendance include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Biden to attend Pope Francis' funeral

NewsNation cited a Biden spokesperson to report that the former president and his wife, Jill Biden, are expected to attend the funeral in Rome. The 82-year-old was the second Roman Catholic president of the US after President Kennedy. He also met with Francis on several occasions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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