Minutes before the funeral for Pope Francis began outside in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday (April 26), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump sat leaning toward each other on solitary chairs in the marbled hall outside the Baptistry Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Political and religious representatives from all over the world, including U.S. President Donald Trump, will be coming to the Vatican on Saturday (April 26) to pay their final respects to Pope Francis.

Pope Francis, who sought to be a bridge maker as he led the Catholic Church in a time of deep polarization, died at 7:35 a.m. on Monday (April 21), at the age of 88, a day after surprising faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

A week after his last respiratory crisis, doctors say Pope Francis continues to show signs of improvement and is currently out of medical danger.

Doctors said there has been a “slight improvement” in Pope Francis’ condition on Monday (Feb. 24) after he suffered a respiratory crisis and blood work showed initial signs of kidney failure over the weekend. Despite the promising report, however, the doctors said their prognosis remains guarded.

A new document by the Italian bishops’ conference states that being openly gay no longer bars candidates from discerning the priesthood.

The meeting was organized after the Vatican issued a document condemning gender-affirming care and gender theory.

Pope Francis called for a day of prayer and fasting on the anniversary of the attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens.