Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, will be laid to rest on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 a.m. at the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. The funeral is set to be a historic global event, drawing dignitaries and leaders from around the world to honour the late pontiff’s legacy.
The Vatican has confirmed an extensive list of global Leaders Set to Attend Pope Francis’s Funeral, reflecting Pope Francis’s broad influence across continents and faiths.
Europe
Italy: President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will represent the host nation.
Spain: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will lead the Spanish delegation, accompanied by Vice Presidents María Jesús Montero and Yolanda Díaz, Minister Félix Bolaños, and opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
France: President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed his attendance.
Germany: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be present.
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William, representing King Charles III, will attend.
European Union: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will be in attendance.
Other European Leaders: Presidents and prime ministers from Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, and other nations have also confirmed their participation.
Americas
United States: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will represent the U.S.
Argentina: President Javier Milei, along with Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, will attend, honoring the pope’s Argentine roots.
Brazil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva will be present.
Other Latin American Nations: Leaders from countries including the Dominican Republic and Ecuador are expected to attend.
Asia and Oceania
Philippines: President Bongbong Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos will attend.
Australia: Governor-General Sam Mostyn will represent the nation.
Africa
Timor-Leste: President José Ramos-Horta and Foreign Minister Bendito Freitas will be present.
Other African Nations: Leaders from various African countries are expected, though specific confirmations are pending.
International Organizations
United Nations: Secretary-General António Guterres will attend, reflecting the pope’s global diplomatic impact.
Some of the notable Absences are;
Russia: President Vladimir Putin will not attend, reportedly due to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant limiting his international travel.
Mexico: President Claudia Sheinbaum will not be present; Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez will represent Mexico.
The funeral will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Pope Francis’s body is currently lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing the faithful to pay their respects ahead of the ceremony.
