The Italian capital will be Caput Mundi again for 24 hours while the world leaders are in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
About 170 national delegations, international leaders, kings and queens are present.
Many observers expect the end farewells to be more than a moment of memory and can become an opportunity for informal political exchanges between leaders.
Funeral diplomacy is not new, explains Pasquale Ferrara, Director General of Political Affairs and International Security at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This has happened in the past at other major events such as this one. Take, for example, the funeral of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during which Australia and Japan began conversations for a joint security declaration in the Asia-Pacific region.”
When murdered in 2022, Shinzo Abe has retained a powerful role in Japan and worldwide. More than 200 high -level delegations attended his funeral.
Hundreds of foreign heads of state and dignitaries also attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Death overcomes all barriers
Another recent example would be the funeral of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter accident in May 2024.
Even the leaders of countries with storm relations can brush and whisper political words around a coffin under the pretext that death and love overcome all barriers.
For example, the Arab countries with traditionally difficult relations with Iran broke the ice and sent delegations to the highest level to Tehran.
The farewell ceremony of President Raisi marked the first protocol visits to Tehran by a Tunisian president – Kais Saied at the time – and an Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs – Sameh Shoukry – Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
The two leaders listened to a critical funeral service towards the United States and Israel in silence.
Chaos logistics
Direct political exchanges between leaders in such circumstances can create diplomatic, protocol and logistics challenges.
With large crowds, different locations and tight schedules, everything becomes more complicated, especially when conflicts occur between Italian and Vatican leaders, explains Ambassador Ferrara.
“It is not easy to manage exchanges and communications between diplomatic representatives in Rome in the Holy See and in the Italian state, nor for delegations from abroad and often stay only a few hours,” explains Ambassador Ferrara.
Everything will therefore depend on the will of political and religious leaders present. Improvisation sometimes helps human relationships, especially at a time of mourning. A high -level event such as papal funerals could promote informal dialogues as opposed to official negotiations which take place elsewhere.
ADVERTISEMENT“Such summits and meetings require long and meticulous preparation,” said Ambassador Ferrara. “But speed can also be an advantage – in other words, you can find people and in particular the world's most open to dialogue.”
During its papacy, Pope Francis created a strong link between papal action and major political questions of our time, including climate change, international conflicts and social issues worldwide. In doing so, he has forged relationships with foreign dignitaries and people around the world.
Today, many of these people are present to pay tribute. For world leaders, funerals could offer possibilities for dialogue that could otherwise not be possible.
