Dozens of world leaders and religious figures are likely to attend Pope’s funeral, alongside hundreds of worshipers.

Even before the Vatican announced that Pope Francis’s funeral will take place on Saturday, a number of world leaders confirmed their attendance.

Within hours of Francis’s death, Argentinian President, Javier Milei said he would attend the service.

US President, Donald Trump says he will travel to Vatican City alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

French President, Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed that he will be there.

Also, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to make an appearance.

According to AFP, in a brief to journalists on Tuesday, a senior advisor to President Zelensky, Dmytro Lytvyn, stated that the Ukrainian leader and his wife would be present at the solemn event to pay their respects.

President Zelensky had earlier expressed his condolences, describing Pope Francis as a spiritual leader who consistently “prayed for peace in Ukraine.”

The office of EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen says she will attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday.

She joins a number of leaders who have said they will attend the ceremony, including US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile, Kremlin’s Press secretary Dmitry Peskov says President Vladimir Putin doesn’t plan to attend Pope Francis’s funeral.

Peskov has told journalists “the president has no such plans” to travel to Vatican City for Saturday’s service, He adds no decision has been made on who would represent Russia at the funeral service.

The Vatican has just announced the Pope’s funeral will take place on Saturday, 26 April at 10:00 local time (09:00 WAT), and will take place outdoors in front of St Peter’s Basilica.

The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, will lead the service.

At the end of the funeral, Re will deliver the final commendation, a concluding prayer where the Pope will be formally entrusted to God and the body moved to St Mary Major for the burial.

BBC/Adebukola Aluko

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