Zelensky may attend the Pope’s funeral

Pope Francis died on April 21, the day after Easter. In his final hours at the Vatican, he met with US Vice President J.D. Vance.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, the funeral is scheduled for April 26.

The farewell ceremony will take place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. According to the norms of the document Universi Dominici Gregis, the funeral should take place within 4–6 days after the Pope’s death, meaning the ceremony could occur between April 25 and 27.

According to information, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may attend the farewell. Final details will be announced soon, and Kyiv is preparing a visit to Rome and the Vatican.

Pope Francis’s spiritual testament was published in the Vatican. He died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday. The pontiff requested a modest burial in the document, calling for world peace and fraternity among peoples. Francis wanted his funeral to occur in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he prayed before and after each Apostolic Journey. He noted that the tomb should be modest, without decorations, with a single inscription: Franciscus, and insisted that the funeral expenses be covered only by charitable contributions.