Map indicating countries that sent official dignitaries at the funeral of Pope John Paul II
This is a list of dignitaries at the funeral of Pope John Paul II. After the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005, in Vatican City, and before official invitations were sent by the College of Cardinals, almost 200 countries expressed interest in sending representatives to his funeral. The funeral took place on 8 April 2005, and was one of the largest gathering of statesmen and world leaders in history.[1] Some of the dignitaries later attended the installation of Pope Benedict XVI on 24 April 2005.
In order to accommodate all interested parties wishing to receive a seat during the Mass of Requiem, the Holy See limited the number of members in each official diplomatic delegation to five people, except for the Polish delegation which, being John Paul II's homeland, was allowed ten people, and the delegation from Italy. The limit did not exclude other people of any nationality from attaining individual invitations, unrelated to the individual's country's delegation: for example, the attendance of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former president of Brazil, had no connection with the Brazilian delegation. In addition to a country's official delegation, any number of government officials were permitted to attend as pilgrim travellers, remaining outside the basilica during the Mass of Requiem with the general public. For example, the United States delegation included the president and first lady, two former presidents, and the secretary of state, and they all had seats in the basilica during the Mass of Requiem. Dozens of members of the Congress of the United States attended the Mass of Requiem, congregating among the general public outside the basilica.
At the funeral, the dignitaries were seated alphabetically according to the French spelling of their country's name[2] and arranged according to diplomatic protocol.
10 sovereigns, 80 past and present elected heads of state, 75 heads of governments and numerous dignitaries from 18 multilateral organizations, 15 religions and 112 countries attended this Mass.
President of the Republic Former President Former President Former President First Lady President of the Senate President of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Supreme Federal Court
President of the Italian Republic Wife of the President Prime Minister of Italy Counsellor of State, General Secretary of the Presidency Diplomatic Counsellor to the Presidency Counsellor Coordinator at the Presidency President of the Senate President of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Constitutional Court Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ahmed Qurei Ghazi Hanania Afif Safieh Nimer Hammad Mustafa Abu El-Rub
Prime Minister of Palestine Spokesman for the Legislative Council Director of the Diplomatic Representation to the Holy See General Delegate in Italy Assistant to the Prime Minister
President of the Philippines Presidential Daughter SS chairman (former ambassador to Cambodia) wife of House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. former Ambassador to the Holy See
President of the Republic First Lady former President of the Republic former First Lady Prime Minister Marshal of the Sejm Marshal of the Senate Ambassador to the Holy See former Prime Minister former Marshal of the Sejm
President Minister of Advanced Education Secretary to Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Personal Assistant to the President Ambassador
Notes
^ "China" used here refers to the Republic of China (ROC) and commonly known as Taiwan, rather than the People's Republic of China (PRC), which does not have diplomatic relations with the Holy See and did not receive any invitations to the funeral. Although the ROC Government lost control of Mainland China at the end of the Chinese Civil War, the Holy See still recognizes the ROC, but not the PRC, as the legitimate representative for the government of "China".
^ The low representation of Monaco is due to the death of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Monaco's head of state died two days before the funeral of the Pope.
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