Huge crowds of mourners and dozens of
world leaders were in Saint Peter's Square on Saturday for the
funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88 after 12
years at the helm of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has said are 160 delegations are attending,
including approximately 50 heads of state and 10 reigning
sovereigns.
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr
Zelensky are among them.
Pride of place in the seating arrangements in the square went to
Argentine President Javier Milei as the leader of Francis's
homeland.
Then came the Italian delegation led by President Sergio
Mattarella and Premier Giorgia Meloni.
After the precedence went to reigning sovereigns, according to
the names of their countries in alphabetical order in French,
the language of international diplomacy, including King Felipe
VI and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Abdullah II of Jordan,
and then presidents, including Germany's Frank-Walter
Steinmeier; Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; and France's
Emmanuel Macron.
Around 250,000 people queued for hours to pay homage to the late
Argentine pontiff during the lying in state of his remains
between Wednesday and Friday in St Peter's Basilica, and a
similar number were expected to attend the funeral.
Shortly after 9am local time, Rome police said 140,000 people
were already in the area of St Peter's for the funeral.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was among the officials to pay
their respects on Wednesday.
Francis's remains will be laid to rest in Rome's Saint Mary
Major Basilica on Saturday after his funeral.
The late pontiff would always go to Saint Mary Major to pray
before and after every apostolic journey he went on and he asked
to buried there, not in St Peter's like most other popes, in his
testament.
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