Here's how Trump got ‘front-row’ seat at Pope Francis's funeral; ‘A master plan to stage-manage big egos’
Donald Trump arrived for Pope Francis's funeral ceremony in Vatican City on Saturday amidst reports that he would not be seated in the first row of dignitaries.
US President Donald Trump arrived for Pope Francis's funeral ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday amidst reports that he would not be seated in the first row of dignitaries.
While Trump is accustomed to being the most significant individual at every event he attends, there were reports that he would have to adjust in the third row at the event.
Official information has not yet been made public by the Vatican, but the Telegraph hinted at such a possibility, citing the 2005 funeral of Polish Pope John Paul II.
Notably, Trump and the late Pope Francis disagreed on a number of subjects, including Gaza, the environment, and migration.
The report claimed that a sizable block of international dignitaries will be sitting to one side of Francis's coffin, with the red-robed “princes of the Church,” including cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and patriarchs, dominating the opposite side.
The international leaders were said to be seated at the funeral in alphabetical order based on their nation's name in French, since it was the official language of diplomacy at the time the protocols were established.
When Trump ruthlessly mocked Biden over seating arrangement
Meanwhile, several netizens mocked Trump for taking a dig at former US President Joe Biden over his seating arrangement at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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,” he added.
Here's what happened at Pope Funeral: Trump gets front-row seat
Trump surprisingly occupied a valuable front-row spot, dressed in a blue suit at the funeral of Pope Francis.
Despite all the reports, Trump and Melania were seated in the front row beside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who received applause from the crowd on his arrival.
Trump's seating plan concession marks a substantial departure from the practice last implemented at the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005.
Biden too arrived at the pope's funeral on Saturday, but was seated much further back.
Here's how Trump managed to get front-row seat
According to MailOnline, the layout was referred to as a “master plan” for stage-managing “big egos,” indicating that planners had to achieve an ideal balance in seating arrangements.
The head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, stated that the funeral planners are accustomed to handling “big egos” at these kinds of gatherings. The burial will be unquestionably “another masterpiece of stage management when you consider those state leaders who have high opinions of their importance,” he told the PA news agency.
