The funeral of papa Francisco In the Plaza de San Pedro del Vaticano, the president of the USA, Donald Trump. The American president has left an image for the story with a snapshot of his brief meeting with the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenskiinside the Basilica of San Pedro, but has also monopolized all eyes When you are in the front row In the Vatican esplanade, during the pontiff’s funeral, a position that initially it did not correspondbut that the Vatican He has granted him due to a last minute change.
According to the strict Vatican protocol, the first rows of Francisco’s funeral were reserved for the heads of statesitting in French alphabetical order, but with priority for Italian delegations, the most massive with the presence of the president, Sergio Mattarella, and the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni; and Argentina, the native country of the Pontiff, headed by Javier Milei.
Next, also in the front row, they had to place Catholic royal housesas the Spanish one, and then the non -Catholic kings such as those of Sweden or Prince Guillermo of England. This relegated Donald Trump to at least be in the second row of seats.
However, none of this happened: the US president and the first lady, Melania Trump, They advanced positions and finally witnessed the funeral of Pope Francis from the first row.
To Trump’s right, on the other side of the hall, were the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, and the French president, Emmanuel Macronto whom Trump greeted at the beginning of the funeral and during the time of peace at Mass. To the left of the American were the president of Estonia, Alar Karis, and in the adjoining seat, the Kings Felipe VI and Letiziawho also shook their hands with Trump.
The American president was also relatively close to Ukrainian, Volodimir Zelenskialso in the front row and despite the fact that Ukraine is far from the United States in the French alphabet.
This sudden change in the protocol has an explanation, and it is none other than Safety. Both leaders held a meeting in the Basilica of San Pedro minutes before the start of the funeral, so when they left they had the right time to accommodate in their respective seats of the front row before the Mass began.
Likewise, according to the National Police Headquarters of Rome, the Delegations of the United States and Ukraine were among the countries that have required greater security, so It was agreed that they would abandon first The San Pedro Square once the funeral is finished.
Hence Trump’s presence in the front row, which allowed him fifty minutes after the ceremony endedto return to your country aboard the Air Force One.
