Donald Trump criticized for “disrespectful” attire at Pope Francis’ funeral

President Donald Trump has found himself at the center of controversy at the funeral of Pope Francis.

World leaders from around the globe have gathered in Vatican City on Saturday (April 26) to pay their respects to the late pope, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88 following a sudden stroke and irreversible heart failure.

The open-air funeral mass in St. Peter’s Square drew an estimated 200,000 mourners, according to BBC News.

Among the mourners were U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Prince of Wales, Sir Keir Starmer, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and others who attended the solemn service.

It marked the first time Prince William has represented the monarch at an international funeral.

At the funeral, President Trump and the First Lady were seen pausing to pay their respects at the Pope’s coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica before joining the congregation outside in St. Peter’s Square.

However, social media quickly erupted when viewers noticed the 78-year-old standing out among the sea of mourners dressed in black.

Despite the solemnity of the occasion, he chose to wear a blue suit, while every other world leader and dignitary adhered to the traditional black attire customarily worn at Catholic funerals as a sign of respect.

Trump’s outfit immediately drew widespread attention online, with critics accusing him of being “disrespectful” and showing “no respect.”

How disrespectful, Trump is at the Pope’s funeral wearing a blue suit & he looks completely out of place,” one user slammed, while another blasted: “Watching the funeral on BBC News. Trump is in a blue suit when everyone else is in black. No class.”

“Why is Trump wearing a navy suit? He couldn’t, just for a few hours, wear black, like everyone else, as a sign of respect. There is no common rule that this moron does not break. Stands out in the crowd for all the wrong reasons, always,” a third shared.

Others also pointed out the irony, recalling Trump’s previous scathing remarks about Zelenskyy’s informal attire during a White House meeting in February.

“Why is Trump wearing a blue suit instead of a black one like others. Perhaps Zelenskyy could ask him why he hasn’t dressed more appropriately?” one added.

It is important to note that President Zelensky was also criticized by some viewers for opting not to wear a formal suit to the solemn occasion.

Of course, Zelensky – who has not been seen wearing a suit since February 24, 2022, when he announced martial law in Ukraine as Russia launched its full-scale invasion – has repeated stated that he will not wear a suit until the war in his country is over.

Following the funeral mass, the pontiff’s remains are to be transported through the streets of Rome in a break with tradition, as per his instructions, to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

The Vatican has confirmed that a group of “poor and needy” individuals will gather on the steps to pay their last respects before the interment, in keeping with Pope Francis’ lifelong dedication to the marginalized.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re led the funeral homily, remembering Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone,” per The Guardian.

He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised, the least among us,” Re said.

The cardinal also recalled Pope Francis’ last public appearance blessing the crowd from the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, and emphasized the late Pope’s belief that the Church must be “a home for all, a home with its doors always open … a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds”.