In an apparent departure from tradition, the Vatican ensured that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a front-row seat at the funeral of Pope Francis, alongside world leaders such as Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron.
Zelensky arrived in Rome with his wife Olena Zelenska amid growing hopes for a breakthrough in Ukraine’s peace talks. His appearance at St Peter’s Square was met with spontaneous applause from attendees. Before the ceremony, he briefly met Trump for their first conversation since their tense Oval Office meeting in late February.
What happened with the seat arrangement?
Typically, seating for such major events follows strict diplomatic protocols, with leaders placed according to their country’s French name and their official rank. Under these guidelines, Zelenskyy would likely have been seated in the third row or farther back. Instead, he was positioned in the front row, 11 seats away from Trump.
The Vatican acknowledged that adjustments were made. “I believe they filled a vacant place,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told The Telegraph, without denying that protocol had been bent.
Seated between Zelensky and Trump were leaders including President Droupadi Murmu, Hungary’s PM Viktor Orbán, Gabon’s interim president, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte and Finland’s Alexander Stubb.
Due to French naming conventions, the United States (États-Unis) falls under “E”, while Spain (Espagne) follows nearby, resulting in King Felipe VI seated next to Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Melania Trump.
Meanwhile, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, adhering to the strict alphabetical order, found himself at the far end of the front row next to a Swiss Guard.