Meloni, in the front row and Trump, in Second: This will be the funeral of Pope Francis

From noon this Wednesday, the representatives of the “130 confirmed delegations for the funeral of Pope Francis” will begin to arrive at the three airports of Rome. The Vatican explained that “among them there are about 50 heads of state and ten reigning sovereigns.”

To arrange them, the protocol team of the State Secretariat of the Holy See is making a true bobbin lace and are waiting until the last moment to design a plan that avoids uncomfortable situations among the guests. “It is still early to define the seats of many of the guests, as official delegations are not closed,” explain from the Vatican a few hours from the funeral.

Joe Biden, Prince Guillemo …

For example, yesterday afternoon it was learned that in the official US delegation will also be the former White House, Joe Biden, and Prince Guillermo will come from London. Also for the funeral of John Paul II, George W. Bush came accompanied by his predecessors Bill Clinton and his father George Bush; and Carlos of England, then Prince of Wales, traveled to represent Queen Elizabeth.

“I have no precise indications about this issue,” said Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, during an informal appearance. «I cannot speak on behalf of the delegations, but I confirm that they will be accommodated in the sector located to the right of the altar, which will be the area reserved for the delegations. We usually do not give data for security issues, ”Bruni said.

The same scheme as the funeral of John Paul II

The idea of ​​the monsignors in charge of the matter is to follow the same scheme as the one designed for the funeral of John Paul II, that is to say that “the order of countries in the French language, with the heads of delegation sitting in alphabetical order respecting their range.” In the front row, the representatives of the Royal Houses will sit in second, the presidents, also in alphabetical order, in third the prime ministers, and then the rest of the delegations.

The particularity is that “the protocol gives priority to the presidents of Italy and Argentina,” says another source from the Holy See to ABC. They will have a privileged place in the front row both Sergio Matella and Giorgia Meloni and Javier Milei. «Next, the reigning Catholic sovereigns will sit next to the Grand Master of the Malta Order. Then, non -Catholic sovereigns. Next, the heads of state in alphabetical order ».

Thus, the kings of Spain will be close to Felipe and Matilde de Belgica, the Grand Duke Enrique and the Grand Duchess María Teresa de Luxembourg, of the Princes Alberto and Charlène de Monaco, and of the Coprin of Andorra, Joan Enric Vives, current bishop of the Seu de Urgell. Next to them, the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Frey John T. Dunlap will sit.

The non -Catholic kings such as Carlos Gustavo de Sweden and Queen Silvia, and Prince Guillermo of England will take seat. It is not clear where they will accommodate Prince Emanuel Filiberto, head of the house of Savoy, which is not reigning. The Holland and Máxima monarchs will be missing, despite the fact that the Queen is Argentina, as the country celebrates the “King Day.” Nor did his mother Beatriz go to the funerals of John Paul II. It will represent the country of the Tulipanes the Prime Minister Dick Schoof.

They are going to accommodate the prefect of the Pontifical House in functions, which has the position of Regent, Leonardo Sapienza. The last who will arrive will be the Italian President Sergio Matella and Donald and Melania Trump who have their chairs reserved in the second row, very close to the French delegation headed by Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. In 2005, George W. Bush came with his wife, Laura, and was sitting very close to Jacques Chirac.

A peace gesture during Mass

Both on his arrival and at the moment in which Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battist Vladimir Putin. In that second row yes the German federal president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Portuguese Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Polish Andrzej Duebue and the Brazilian Luis Inacio Lula da Silva will be. Next to them, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

After the presidents, the prime ministers will be accommodated, such as the Hungarian Víctor Orbán, the British Keir Starmer and Foreign Minister Olaf Scholz. Then, the rest of the members of the official delegations, trying to respect their rank. There will be accommodated the first and second vice presidents of the Government, María Jesús Montero and Yolanda Díaz and the Minister of Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, in charge of the government’s relations with the Church. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, head of the opposition will also be.

Many of them will arrive this Friday in Rome and they are likely to approach the burning chapel of Pope Francis to pay tribute before the ceremony.