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

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.

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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.

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“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.

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.