As Catholic faithful around the world prepare for the funeral of Pope Francis, an interesting diplomatic subplot is emerging: former U.S. President Donald Trump may not receive the prominent seating he is accustomed to at major events.
Despite his global fame and his role as the current leader of the United States, Vatican diplomatic traditions will likely relegate Mr. Trump to a less prestigious seat during the funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday. According to The Telegraph, the Vatican’s arcane seating protocol will prioritize Catholic and royal dignitaries over political leaders, meaning Trump may find himself seated as far back as the third row.
The Holy See will first honor Catholic royalty, followed by non-Catholic royals, such as the Prince of Wales representing King Charles III, and then political leaders like Trump. As The Telegraph explains, “Foreign dignitaries will be seated in a large block to one side of Francis’s coffin, while archbishops, bishops, patriarchs and cardinals – the red-robed ‘princes of the Church’ – will be seated opposite them.”
Catherine Pepinster, former editor of The Tablet and an expert on Vatican affairs, emphasized that “for the funeral of John Paul II, Catholic European royalty, such as the King and Queen of Spain and those of Belgium were given priority and seated at the front,” according to The Telegraph. She added that “next came the non-Catholic royalty – so Prince Charles, representing his mother, Elizabeth II, along with the Scandinavians and the Dutch. Then came the foreign dignitaries such as the US president, who at the time was George W. Bush.”
A point of particular sensitivity for Mr. Trump is that seating arrangements at such high-profile funerals can carry political symbolism. Trump had previously mocked President Joe Biden’s seating placement at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, stating it showed a lack of respect for the U.S. He posted online: “This is what’s happened to America in just two short years. No respect. However, a good time for our president to get to know the leaders of certain Third World countries. If I were president, they wouldn’t have sat me back there – and our Country would be much different than it is right now. In real estate, like in politics and in life, location is everything” (The Telegraph).
Adding to the potential diplomatic drama, the Vatican’s recognition of all sovereign states means that Mr. Trump could find himself near figures he strongly opposes politically. “One of the interesting aspects of a ceremony such as this is that the Holy See has diplomatic relations with countries such as Russia and Iran, which may mean that world leaders who would not usually meet, would encounter one another in Rome,” Pepinster noted, according to The Telegraph.
This dynamic has created awkward moments before. At the funeral of St. John Paul II in 2005, Prince Charles was seated near Robert Mugabe, the then-president of Zimbabwe, who was under an EU travel ban. The encounter led to an infamous handshake, which Clarence House later described by saying the Prince had been “caught by surprise” (The Telegraph).
As Catholics around the world mourn the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican’s commitment to tradition and diplomacy will be on full display—reminding all that, within the Church, humility and respect for long-standing customs often take precedence over political stature.
