Rome will once again be the capital of the world for a day, as top leaders gather for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
Around 170 national delegations, international leaders and royals are in attendance.
Many observers expect the final farewell to be more than a moment of remembrance and may evolve into an opportunity for informal political exchanges between leaders.
Funeral diplomacy is nothing new, explains Pasquale Ferrara, Director General for Political Affairs and International Security at the Italian Foreign Ministry.
“It has happened in the past at other major events such as this one. Take, for example, the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during which Australia and Japan began conversations for a joint statement on security in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Abe played a significant role both within Japan and on the global stage. More than 200 top-level delegations attended his funeral following his assassination in 2022.
Likewise, hundreds of heads of state and foreign dignitaries also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Another recent example would be the funeral of former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May 2024.
Even leaders of countries with stormy relations can brush past each other and whisper political words around a coffin under the pretext that death and love overcome all barriers.
In Raisi’s case, Arab countries with traditionally complex relations with Iran broke the ice and sent delegations at the highest level to Tehran.
Raisi’s farewell ceremony marked the first protocol visits to Tehran by a Tunisian president – Kais Saied at the time – and an Egyptian foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, since the Islamic revolution in 1979.
The logistics of chaos
Direct political exchanges between leaders in such circumstances can create diplomatic, protocol and logistical challenges.
With large crowds, differing locations and tight schedules, everything becomes more complicated, particularly when conflicts arise between Italian and Vatican leadership, according to Ferrara.
“It is not easy to manage exchanges and communications between diplomatic representatives in Rome at the Holy See and the Italian state, nor for the delegations that come from abroad and often stay for only a few hours,” Ferrara said.
Everything will therefore depend on the will of the political and religious leaders present. Improvisation can sometimes enhance human relations, especially during times of mourning. A high-level event, such as a papal funeral, could favour informal dialogues over official negotiations taking place elsewhere.
“Such summits and meetings require long and careful preparation,” said Ferrara. “But speed can also be an advantage, in other words, you can find the people and particularly the world leaders most open to a dialogue.”
During his papacy, Pope Francis established a strong connection between papal action and the significant global issues of our time, including climate change, international conflicts, and social issues on a worldwide scale. In so doing, he forged relationships with foreign dignitaries and people from around the world.
Today many of those individuals are present to pay their respects. For world leaders, the funeral could offer opportunities for dialogue that may otherwise not be possible.
