The Vatican altered diplomatic protocol to grant Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a privileged front-row seat at Pope Francis’s funeral, sparking controversy over favoritism and the Holy See’s role in current geopolitics.

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In an unprecedented move, the Vatican broke its strict diplomatic protocol to ensure that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was given a prominent front-row seat during Pope Francis’s funeral, alongside the presidents of the United States and France. This decision, privileging the leader of the Kyiv government over other heads of state, has drawn criticism and raised questions about the Holy See’s neutrality and its alignment with Western interests.

Traditionally, the Vatican arranges the seating of world leaders at official ceremonies alphabetically by their country’s name in French, the language of diplomacy. Under these rules, Zelensky would have been relegated to the third row or even further back. However, on this occasion, the Holy See made an exception, placing the Ukrainian president and his wife just 11 seats away from Donald Trump, at the very center of media attention.

Just before the Pope's funeral, the Presidents of Ukraine and the United States met for a "very productive" discussion on the ongoing war in Ukraine.https://t.co/2SGhUgRVfM

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 26, 2025

Zelensky’s presence in the front row was not only symbolic but also positioned him as a protagonist of the event, even receiving spontaneous applause as he took his seat in St. Peter’s Square. This preferential treatment comes as the Vatican has shown a tendency to align with Western powers, It could also be an attempt to ease tensions between the Ukrainian president and Trump, thereby facilitating a path toward ending the conflict.

Criticisms and Questions from the International Left

From progressive and left-wing international circles, this breach of protocol is seen as further evidence of the Vatican’s alignment with the U.S. and NATO agendas, undermining principles of equity and sovereignty in international relations. The privilege granted to Zelensky not only sidelines other Global South leaders but also reinforces the perception that the Holy See has abandoned its role as an impartial actor in 21st-century conflicts.

Ultimately, the Vatican’s decision to alter protocol for Zelensky highlights how international politics and Western powers’ interests dominate even the most sacred and symbolic spaces, erasing boundaries between diplomacy, religion, and geopolitics.It is unlikely that such a thing would have happened during Pope Francis’s lifetime.

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