Donald Trump has been accused of being a “total disgrace” as he was filmed playing about with his mobile phone and chewing gum during Pope Francis’ funeral service in Rome.
The US president is among the world leaders to have travelled to Rome, joining the likes of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William. More than 200,000 people have also crowded into St Peter’s Square to show their respects to the Pope, who passed away on Monday. Trump has already upset many with his choice of a blue suit over the traditional black, as well as admitting he only made the trip over Catholic voters.
Now he has been caught fiddling with his phone and chewing gum while others are paying rapt attention to the service, which started earlier this morning. One unimpressed person said online: “Total disgrace. Selfinvite. Blue suit. Hating the pope and now attending his funeral.
“Pretending to be a (very recent) super Christian but having no morals and don’t know what easter is about. And signalling during the service. Total embarrassment.” Another person added: “Such a douchebag. Wearing blue, not black. On his phone at the Pope’s funeral. I’m an atheist, but even I show respect for the dead. What a f*****g s**show.”
Another said: “Texting from the front row at a funeral…the ultimate disrespect and rudeness from the President of America.” A later video shared from the scene showed the president popping a stick of chewing gum into his mouth, in full view of the world’s media. Do you think Trump’s outfit was ‘disrespectful’? Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
Proceedings began at 10am local time (9am BST) with the service taking place at St Peter’s Basilica before a procession moves his body to St Mary Major, a basilica in central Rome the late Pontiff visited frequently during his life.
He has requested to be buried in a tomb inside the basilica – which while grand is markedly smaller than the grottoes beneath St Peter’s where 91 of his predecessors are buried – while his friends watch on. In line with his wishes, the Pope will be buried in a simple wooden coffin, abandoning the traditional triple-casket arrangement.
Pope Francis’ calls for peace were repeated at his funeral, as world leaders including the US and Ukraine presidents attended Trump and Zelensky were pictured meeting inside St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the late pontiff’s requiem mass.
The face-to-face encounter was the pair’s first since their tempestuous clash in the White House at the end of February. In an image, the presidents were seen sitting on chairs leaning in towards each other as they spoke, while another picture showed the pair speaking with Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. Zelensky had been applauded by the crowd as he stepped out of the basilica to take his seat for the mass.
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