How Awkward Diplomacy Took the Front Seat at Pope’s Funeral Ceremony (image-instagram/realdonaldtrump)
Vatican City: Around 170 national delegations, international leaders, and royals came together to attend Pope Francis’s burial ceremony. Although it was more low-key than usual, it was still set to be a historic event. Though the ceremony, which was meant to be a solemn farewell for the Pope, turned into a political minefield.
When many world leaders flooded St Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Saturday, some came grieving while others came to make use of the opportunity for diplomatic meet-ups. US President Donald Trump, who did not get along well with the Pope, arrived at the funeral wearing a blue suit and light blue tie, standing out in a sea of black.
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As per the Vatican’s funeral protocol, all men are required to wear a dark suit with a black tie and a black lapel button. Countries were seated in alphabetical order in French, placing Trump in the front row, where he stood out like a sore thumb in a sea of black.
This wasn’t the only political drama to unfold during the Pope’s funeral.
While over 50 heads of state attended the ceremony, Israel, recently criticised by the Pope for its inhumane actions in Gaza, sent only its ambassador as a representative. This minimal delegation stood in stark contrast to Israel’s higher-level representation at previous papal funerals.
Trump also had a short exchange with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen amidst the ongoing trade tensions between the US and the European Union. The encounter came just days after he had slammed Europe for “freeloading” off America.
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Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy attended the funeral wearing a military-style jacket. He drew significant attention for being seated in the front row, a notable difference from the traditional one. He also had a 15-minute face-to-face conversation with Donald Trump inside St Peter’s Basilica. Though officially, it was stated to be a very beneficial discussion on war and peace, no details of the discussion were shared with the public.
