A really spontaneous applause erupted in St. Peter’s Square as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived for Pope Francis’s funeral.
Around 50 world leaders and 10 reigning monarchs have gathered in the square in Vatican City for the funeral, which is currently taking place.Zelenskyy arrived in a stream of world leaders who were taking their seats in St Peter’s Square before the funeral began.
When the crowd caught sight of him and his image appeared on the screens set up around the square, applause could be heard.
Among the other leaders in attendance is US President Donald Trump, whose administration is still attempting to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s spokesperson has said the Ukrainian President and his US counterpart met briefly in Rome before the funeral. “The meeting took place and is already over,” Sergiy Nykyforov told journalists without elaborating.
Former US president, Joe Biden, who is the only Catholic to be elected president since John F Kennedy in 1960, is also attending Pope Francis’s funeral alongside his wife Jill.
President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris are representing Ireland at the funeral.
European leaders in attendance include Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is representing the UK, alongside Prince William, who is attending in place of his father King Charles III – who is the head of the Church of England.
