When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the funeral of Pope Francis, spontaneous applause erupted in St Peter’s Square.
About 50 world leaders and 10 ruling monarchs gathered in the square of Vatican City for funerals.
Applause can be heard when the crowd sees him and his image appears on the screen around the square.
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Applause broke out in the Vatican with the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Among other leaders attending the meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump is still trying to establish a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow to end the Ukrainian war.
A Zelenskyy spokesman said the Ukrainian president and his American colleagues had a brief meeting in Rome before the funeral. “The meeting happened and it’s over,” Sergiy Nykyforov told reporters without elaborating.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been the only Catholic elected to president since John F Kennedy in 1960 and he also attended the funeral of Pope Francis with his wife Jill.
Presidents Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris attended the funeral on behalf of Ireland.
European leaders in attendance included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with Prince William, represents England, and he is replacing his father, Charles III, who is head of the Church of England.
