Vatican overturns protocol to seat Zelenskyy in front row at Pope Francis’ funeral

The Vatican overturned protocol to ensure that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a front-row seat at the funeral of Pope Francis, along with U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Zelenskyy, accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, arrived in Rome with hopes of fostering a breakthrough in peace talks for his war-torn country. Upon his arrival, the Ukrainian leader received a spontaneous round of applause from those in attendance as he took his seat in St Peter’s Square, Caliber.Az reports, citing UK media.

Typically, seating arrangements at such high-profile events follow a strict protocol, with world leaders positioned alphabetically by the name of their country in French—a tradition rooted in diplomacy. Under normal circumstances, Zelenskyy, as president of Ukraine, would have been seated in the third row or even farther back. However, on this occasion, the Vatican made special arrangements to place him in the front row, just 11 seats away from President Trump, who was seated on his right.

The decision to bend protocol has sparked attention, with many wondering whether this was a strategic move to draw attention to Ukraine’s plight. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that the seating was adjusted to “fill a vacant place,” but did not elaborate further.

Among those seated between Zelenskyy and Trump were notable world leaders, including Indian President Narendra Modi, Hungarian President Katalin Novák, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, as well as Macron and his wife, Brigitte, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The arrangement, while unorthodox, underscored Zelenskyy’s significant international standing in the ongoing geopolitical crisis.

By Khagan Isayev