The Plaza de San Pedro del Vaticano hosts this Saturday (26.04.2024) the funeral of Pope Francis, in which thousands of people and delegations headed by representatives from more than one hundred countries are expected, who arrived in the last hours to Rome.
The solemn farewell to Pope Francis will congregate in the Vatican a wide International presence, including an outstanding participation of leaders of America, headed by the presidents of Brazil, Ecuador, the United States, Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Argentina.
The incessant arrival of government delegations and religious representatives to Rome intensified as the funeral of Pope Francis was approaching, scheduled for this Saturday in the Plaza de San Pedro, where the presence of more than 200,000 people is expected.
The presidents of the United States, Brazil and Argentina, as well as the kings of Spain are among the last high positions to reach the Italian capital.
Lula remembers “the wisdom and courage” of Francisco
The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, exalted this Friday “wisdom, courage and compassion” of Pope Francis, after visiting the burning chapel of the Pontiff Supreme in the Basilica of San Pedro, along with other authorities of the South American country.
In what he called as his “first farewell” of Francisco, the president shared on his social networks “emotion” and “devotion” felt by “lending the deserved tributes to the Holy Father” in the burning chapel, which ended this Friday after three days open.
“That their wisdom, courage and compassion continue to illuminate the hearts of all of us,” said Lula, who leads a long Brazilian delegation formed by about twenty authorities, including the heads of both legislative chambers and the president of the Supreme Court, Luís Roberto Barroso.
Milei did not arrive on time to the burning chapel
For their part, the Argentine media reported that President Javier Milei arrived in Rome this Friday, however, “he did not arrive in time to give the last goodbye to the pontiff in the burning chapel, as the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and Lula da Silva did.”
Milei traveled with his sister and six other officials and will have a stay in the Italian capital and is expected to occupy a prominent place in the solemn ceremony by the Argentine pontiff, the gauchos media stood out.
Another president who arrived in Rome this Friday was the American Donald Trump, on his first international trip since he returned to power in January.
Trump and his wife Melania landed at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in the Italian capital, an AFP journalist who traveled with the Republican leader on board the Air Force One reported.
The monarchs of Spain also arrived in Rome
Kings Felipe and Letizia arrived this Friday in the late afternoon to Rome heading the Spanish delegation that will attend the funeral. The plane in which the Spanish delegation travels landed in the Italian capital at 8:00 p.m.
Together with the Spanish kings, the vice presidents María Jesús Montero and Yolanda Díaz traveled.
Delegations from 170 countries have been arriving in Rome in the last hours to attend funeral.
For this Friday the arrival of the president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, as well as the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, among other dignitaries, was also planned.
The presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader – who is accompanied by his wife, Raquel Arbage, and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco -, thus reinforcing a high -political participation from Latin America from Latin America.
Mexico is present through the Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, replacing President Claudia Sheinbaum, while Colombia sends a delegation headed by the First Lady, Verónica Alcocer, and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia.
The Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren attends from Chile; The president of the Senate, Manuel José Ossandón, and the head of the Chamber of Deputies, José Miguel Castro, and Guatemala is represented by the Minister of Culture and Sports, Liwy Grazioso.
jc (25.04.2025)
