On Friday, the Vatican was preparing the final preparations for the funeral of Pope Francis, because the last of the huge crowds of mourns passed through the Basilica of St. Peter to give up the respect of his open coffin. Pontiff died on April 21, Monday after the suffering of the stroke. He was in the hospital for five weeks at the beginning of this year due to double pneumonia. His funeral is probably drawing a huge presence, including various dignitaries from around the world, which will take place on St Peter in Rome on Saturday 10 am local time.
List of foreign leaders and Royals expected at the funeral of Pope Francis
- Donald Trump will take part in the funeral in Rome together with the wife of Melania.
2. UN Secretary General António Guterres
3. France President Emmanuel Macron
4. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelskyy
5. Italy President Sergio Mattarella
6. Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
7. Argentine President Javier Milei
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8. EU President Ursula von der Leyen will join other global leaders for the funeral of Pope Francis.
9. King Felipe and Queen of Letizia from Spain
10. Irish President Michael D Higgins
11th Ireland Taoiseach Micheál Martin
12. UK PM PM Keir Starmer; Prince of Wales to represent the king
13. Poland President Andrzej Duda
14. Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
15. Portugal PM Luís Černá hora.
16. Indian President Drouges Murmu
17. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos JR
18. Minister of Russian Culture Olga Lyubimova
19. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
20. Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
21. Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
22. Honduras President Xiomara Castro
23.
24. The Netherlands Prime Minister Dick Schoof
25th New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
26. Swiss President Karin Keller.
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Over 130,000 people were filed around the coffin on Friday morning. Almost 50,000 people attended the funeral of Francis’ immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict, who also took place on St. Peter Square, in January 2023.
Security measures at the funeral of Pope Francis
According to the Guardian report, the basilica and the Basilics of St. Peter placed the basilica, which has crowds, security checks were tightened and employees offered water bottles due to warm weather.
Rome has deployed advanced defensive and security measures throughout the city and its airspace, placed anti-drive systems, and enforced the no-fly zone with fighter flights, including sophisticated interference technologies. Anti-terrorist and anti-Sabotan units are already present.
The basilica and its surroundings are guarded by more than 2,000 police officers from now to the end of the conclave, which will probably become the beginning of next month to choose Francis’s successor. Reportedly, 400 traffic police officers will be supported to help oversee the movement of diplomatic convoy.
(With the entry from agencies)
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