(RISU). — The Vatican has broken protocol to ensure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a front row seat at the Pope’s funeral, just like US and French presidents Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron.
This is reported by The Telegraph.
The Vatican took special measures to ensure Zelensky a front row seat at the pontiff’s funeral, the publication writes.
Most leaders were seated in alphabetical order according to the names of their countries in French, the traditional language of diplomacy, in which protocols were drawn up.
The Ukrainian leader was supposed to sit in the third row or further back. However, he was seated in the front row, 11 seats away from Trump, who was sitting to his right.
The Vatican does not deny that protocol rules were violated during the ceremony.
Cardinals set date for conclave to begin
On April 28, during the Fifth General Congregation, the cardinals gathered at the Vatican for the “sede vacante” (“vacant see”) decided that the conclave to elect a new Pope would begin on May 7, 2025.
The conclave will be attended by 133 cardinals, including Ukrainian Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Bishop of the Diocese of Melbourne.
