Selenskyj interrupts South Africa trip for Pope Benerdigung in Rome!

Selenskyj interrupts South Africa trip for Pope Benerdigung in Rome!

Rom, Italien - On April 26, 2025, Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj arrived in Rome to take part in the funeral service for the late Pope Francis. His participation was uncertain until the end after he interrupted his South Africa trip to return to Kiev. This step fell in the middle of one of the heaviest air raids on Kiev since the beginning of the war, in which at least twelve people died. Due to the blocked Ukrainian air spaces since February 24, 2022, Selenskyj has been using a special train for trips within his country.

The decision to travel to Rome was depended on the current situation, but Selenskyj wanted to take the opportunity to enter an important diplomatic platform. The funeral service not only attracted mourners from all over Italy-around 250,000 people came together to say goodbye to the Pope-but also high-ranking state representatives such as US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the latter in a striking blue suit.

The funeral service and safety precautions

The funeral service took place under strict security measures that were necessary due to the prominent present. Selenskyj wore a simple black outfit that deviated from the defined dress code that prescribed dark suits and ties. The ceremony under the direction of Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the Cardinal College, started at 10:12 a.m. and ended at 12:00 p.m.

After the funeral service, which took place in the Peterskirche, a funeral procession with the Pope's coffin should drive through Rome before being embedded in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who spoke to Donald Trump on the edge of the celebration, also included state guests. The day was full of significant meetings and conversations, including the possible encounter between Selenskyj and Trump.

background and diplomatic relations

Selenskyj's trip to Rome is a recent visit by his Prime Minister Deny Shmyhal, who met Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on April 27, 2023. The focus was on discussions about the war in Ukraine and humanitarian support. Shmyhal had also invited the Pope to visit Kiev and asked for support for the return of children deported to Russia. The Pope presented Shmyhal gifts that were symbolic of peace, while he handed over Ukrainian memory to the Pope.

These diplomatic relationships between Ukraine and the Vatican are of crucial importance, especially in times of the crisis. The support from the Order of Malta and other humanitarian organizations underlines the need for continuous cooperation to help people in Ukraine in this difficult time.

The events related to the funeral service and the presence of Selenskyj in the Vatican illustrate the high political and symbolic meaning that this visit to international solidarity and peace messages.