
Many world leaders have announced they will travel to Rome for Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday, which is expected to draw a huge crowd in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican.
Here is a list of the expected VIP guests.
Americas
ARGENTINA: President Javier Milei.
The pope, who was born in Argentina in 1936, had a delicate relationship with politics in his homeland, but Milei hailed his "wisdom".
BRAZIL: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Janja.
Lula has said Francis "vigorously criticized the economic models that have brought so much injustice to humanity".
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump and his wife Melania.
Trump said in a social media post: "We look forward to being there!"
Europe
AUSTRIA: Chancellor Christian Stocker.
BELGIUM: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Prime Minister Bart De Wever,
BULGARIA: Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov.
CROATIA: President Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Croatia declared Saturday a day of national mourning.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
ESTONIA: President Alar Karis.
EUROPEAN UNION: EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
FINLAND: President Alexander Stubb.
FRANCE: President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron, who cut short a visit to the Indian Ocean region after the pope's death, told reporters: "We will attend the pope's funeral as we should."
GERMANY: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz will not attend.
GREECE: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
HUNGARY: President Tamas Sulyok.
IRELAND: President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina, plus Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin.
KOSOVO: President Vjosa Osmani.
LATVIA: President Edgars Rinkevics.
LITHUANIA: President Gitanas Nauseda.
MOLDOVA: President Maia Sandu.
MONACO: Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene.
Monaco's royal family has announced three days of mourning for the pope.
THE NETHERLANDS: Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima -- who also has Argentine nationality -- will not make the trip due to the king's birthday celebrations despite being "deeply moved" by Francis's passing, the royal family said.
NORTH MACEDONIA: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.
NORWAY: Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
POLAND: President Andrzej Duda and his wife.
PORTUGAL: President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.
ROMANIA: Interim President Ilie Bolojan.
SLOVAKIA: President Peter Pellegrini.
SLOVENIA: President Natasa Pirc Musar, Prime Minister Robert Golob.
SPAIN: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
Felipe called the pontiff "an enormous ethical beacon of our world, of our time".
UKRAINE: President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska.
Zelensky said Francis had "prayed for peace in Ukraine".
UNITED KINGDOM: Prince William representing head of state King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
SWEDEN: King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Middle East
ISRAEL: Yaron Sideman, Ambassador to the Holy See.
Africa
CAPE VERDE: President Jose Maria Neves.
Asia
PHILIPPINES: President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos.
With AFP
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