Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/FILIPPO MONTEFORTE
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News, Pope Francis, Politics, Social Media
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News, Pope Francis, Politics, Social Media
Pope Francis' funeral seating plan was suspected of landing Donald Trump with a 'third-tier' seat, however, the US President has ended up elsewhere.
Earlier today (April 28), the funeral proceedings of Pope Francis commenced after the head of the Church passed away at the age of 88-years-old on April 21.
Hundreds of thousands flocked to St Peter's Square in Vatican City to pay their respects to the late religious leader. Among them includes world leaders US President Donald Trump, President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of the UK Keir Starmer.
However, the seating plan for the funeral and in particular, where Trump is sat, has caused somewhat of a stir online.
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Trump was anticipated as being handed a 'third-tier' seat for the service.
While the Vatican didn't release any official details prior to proceedings, outlets reported it was expected to see Catholic royalty given priority with the front row, followed by non-Catholic royals, including Prince William.
Next up would be world leaders and heads of state, however, it was reported given the leaders would be seated in alphabetical order according to the name of their country in French, that Trump would likely end up a few rows back.
MSNBC reported the Holy See press office as stating Trump would ultimately end up seated between Estonia and Finland's leaders.
However, leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols noted in an interview with the PA news agency in Rome, the seating arrangement also takes into consideration tricky relationships between political leaders alongside 'big egos'.
Trump has previously spoken out about seating arrangements at funerals - former US President Joe Biden sat on row 14 during Queen Elizabeth II's proceedings.
Trump said at the time in a post to social media: "No respect. [...] If I were president, they wouldn’t have sat me back there – and our Country would be much different than it is right now."
Ultimately, Trump managed to bag a front-row seat despite coming under fire for his etiquette earlier on in the proceedings, even slammed as a 'disgrace to the US'.
The President of the US showed up in a blue suit, opposed to the traditional black attire seen as symbol of mourning and respect.
One Twitter user wrote: "Trump the only world leader without the respect to wear black at Pope Francis funeral. He’s a disgrace to America and the world. God bless Pope Francis."
"What is it with Trump that he did not even have the decency to wear a black tie, never mind he wore a blue suit," a second commented.
A third added: "Look at our tone deaf, idiot President Trump wearing blue at Pope Francis funeral. Not a day goes by that this makeup covered moron doesn't embarrass us on the world stage."