Who go attend Pope Francis funeral?

Hundreds of thousands of pipo dey expected to attend Pope Francis funeral on Saturday for St Peter's Square.

Among dose pipo na world leaders, Catholic officials and mourners from around di world.

Many heads of state and royals don confam dia attendance,including Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Political figures go come out in full force at di ceremony, dis na di most prominent gathering of world leaders since US President Donald Trump inauguration.

Pope Francis vocal opinions on global issues occasionally put am at odds wit leaders - some of dem go dey for di funeral.

World leaders wey go attend di funeral

Nigeria go send representative

Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu don send a high-powered delegation to Vatican City to attend di burial of Pope Francis wey go happun on Saturday, April 26.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio go head di five-member delegation.

According to one statement by di Special Adviser Information and Strategy to Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, members of di delegation include di Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.

Di delegation go formally deliver one letter of President Tinubu sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis death to di Acting Head of di Vatican.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and di Prince of Wales

Starmer, wey go attend di funeral, describe Pope Francis leadership as "courageous" in a statement following afta im death and e say na pope "for di poor, di downtrodden and di forgotten".

Prince William go attend di funeral on behalf of im father, King Charles III, to keep wit recent tradition.

Di King, wen im be Prince of Wales, attend di funeral of Pope John Paul II for 2005 on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles and Queen Camilla dey among di last high-profile figures wey meetdi Pope for im residence in Casa Santa Marta during a royal visit to Italy earlier dis month.

Di King pay tribute to Pope Francis "compassion" and say "through im care for both pipo and planet, e profoundly touch di lives of so many".

E say im and di Queen rememba "wit particular affection" dia meetings wit di Pope ova di years, and "dey greatly moved to dey able to visit am earlier for di month".

Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Lula wey share a personal rapport wit di Pope, and first lady Janja Lula da Silva, go attend di funeral.

Brazil na home to di world largest Catholic population, wit ova 100 million Catholics. Following news of Pope Francis death on Monday, Lula declare seven days of mourning.

"Humanity loses today a voice of respect and welcome for oda," Lula tok.

Noting di meetings wey e get wit di Pope ova di years, Lula say: "We dey able to share our ideals of peace, equality, and justice - ideals say di world dey always needed, and go always need."

US President Donald Trump

Trump announce on im Truth Social platform say im and first lady Melania go attend di Pope funeral, marking di first foreign trip of im second term as US president.

Afta news of di Pope death reach di world, Trump order say make all federal and state flags dey fly for half-mast in honour of di late pontiff. E call Pope Francis "a veri good man" wey "love di world" and "e especially love pipo wey dey get a hard time".

Di two of dem clash for di past. In 2016, Pope Francis criticise Trump proposal to build a wall on di US-Mexico border, wia e say a pesin "wey dey tink only about building walls" and "not building bridges, no be Christian".

Trump hit back, saying: "For a religious leader to question a pesin faith dey disgraceful."

AftaTrump meet di Pope during a trip to di Vatican in 2017, e say: "E be sometin, e dey really good. We get a fantastic meeting."

For February, Pope Francis describe Trump mass deportations as a "major crisis".

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr

Marcos Jr go dey in attendance on Saturday as e describe Francis as di "best Pope for im lifetime".

"A man of profound faith and humility, Pope Francis lead not only wit wisdom but wit a heart open to all, especially di poor and di forgotten," e say.

Di Philippines na one of di world most Catholic kontris, wit almost 80% of Filipinos wey identify as Roman Catholic.

Pope Francis last visit to di kontri for 2015 draw a crowd of six million pipo for an outdoor Mass in di capital city Manila, a record for a papal event.

In di running to become di next Pope na Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, a Cardinal from di Philippines. Dem dey call Cardinal Tagle di "Asian Francis" becos of a dedication to social issues and sympathy for migrants.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky

Di Ukrainian president say e go travel to Vatican City wit first lady Olena Zelenska for di funeral.

"E sabi how to give hope, ease suffering through prayer, and foster unity," Zelensky write on X in tribute to Pope Francis.

"E pray for peace in Ukraine and for Ukrainians."

Following Russia invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Francis make repeated calls for peace and an end to di war. Di two leaders meet several times at di Vatican, most recently last October.

Following dat meeting, Pope Francis write for X: "All nations gte di right to exist in peace and security. Dia territories must not be attacked, and dia sovereignty must be respected and guaranteed through peace and dialogue."

Earlier in 2024, Ukraine bin strongly reject a call by di pontiff for Kyiv to negotiate an end to di war and get "di courage to raise di white flag".

Oda world leaders and royals wey go attend di funeral

Oda political figures and royals wey go attend di Pope funeral include: