Former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, will attend Pope Francis‘s funeral this weekend in Rome.
“President Biden and Dr. Biden will attend Pope Francis’ funeral,” a Biden spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Examiner.
Biden did not attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2023, which occurred during his presidency. Benedict served as pope from 2005 through 2013, when he took the unusual step of becoming pope emeritus at 85.
Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will not attend the funeral.
Bush spokesman Freddy Ford said the 43rd president “did not have the privilege of knowing Pope Francis,” and therefore was unlikely to attend. During his presidency, Bush attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005.
Obama also will not attend, though he and his wife, Michelle Obama, released a statement in honor of the pope.
“Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people,” the Obamas said. “In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another.”
It is unclear whether President Bill Clinton will attend, and his office didn’t respond to a request for comment. The former Democratic president released a statement saying Pope Francis “made it clear that he would endeavor to embrace the entire world, including those of other faiths, those whom the church hadn’t always welcomed, and anyone whose daily struggles reflected the enduring truth of our common humanity.”
President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that he will attend the funeral, which will be held Saturday in Rome at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern), six days after the pope’s death.
“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We look forward to being there!”
Biden and Trump were last seen together in public on Jan. 20 during Trump’s inauguration.
Vance calls it a ‘blessing’ to visit Pope Francis shortly before death
Trump’s presence has invited speculation on whether he will meet with European leaders during the trip, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hoping to speak with him in person. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was at the White House Wednesday, the Washington Examiner reported.
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, has not said whether he will be at the funeral. Vance visited Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, less than 24 hours before his death.
