President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are heading to Rome for a somber occasion, Pope Francis’ funeral. Trump announced the news in a Truth Social post, saying, “Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome. We look forward to being there!” The announcement follows his earlier tribute where he wrote, “Rest in peace, Pope Francis! May God bless him and all who loved him!”
This comes after the death of Pope Francis at 7:35 a.m. local time on Monday. Trump spoke about the pontiff during the White House Easter Egg Roll, calling him “a very good man who loved, loved the world, and he especially loved people that were having a hard time.”
Trump attending Pope Francis’s funeral has stirred a mix of reactions, considering the complicated relationship between the Trump administration and the Vatican. Pope Francis, known for his compassion toward immigrants and the marginalized, had previously criticized the administration’s immigration policies. During his final Easter message, read by an aide due to his illness, Francis condemned “contempt… toward the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.” That message was delivered while Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, was still at the Vatican.
Francis’ death followed a long battle with double pneumonia that led to a 38-day hospitalization. His funeral is set to take place at St. Peter’s Square and will be preceded by the traditional nine-day mourning period known as Novendiale. Francis also broke with centuries of tradition in his burial request, he wished to be laid in the ground, simply, with the name “Franciscus” inscribed in Latin. No pope has been buried at the chosen site since Pope Clement IX in the 1600s.
Trump attending the funeral puts the former president in a unique global spotlight once again. As the pope’s body lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing, millions are expected to gather, including heads of state and religious leaders from across the world.
Are you surprised Trump and Melania are going to the Vatican?
