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Held outdoors in St Peter’s Square, the Mass for the late leader of the Catholic Church was attended by tens of thousands of people and more than 100 official delegations, including heads of state such as US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Among the attendees were also top European figures, including Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

With so many world leaders present, Pope Francis’ funeral also became one of the most significant international gatherings of the year.

Here are five defining moments from the day:

1. Trump and Zelenskyy’s impromptu mini-summit

One of the most striking images came from an impromptu meeting at the Vatican.

Photos released by Kyiv’s presidency show Zelenskyy, Trump, Macron and Starmer gathered in a marble hall ahead of the funeral, with Macron resting a supportive hand on Zelenskyy’s shoulder.

Trump and Zelenskyy also held a private, eye-to-eye 15-minute conversation inside St Peter’s Basilica. The two were sitting face-to-face in the centre of a marble hall, notably without any aides or advisors nearby, suggesting a private and direct conversation between them.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described the meeting as “very productive,” with plans for further discussions later in the day.

This direct and seemingly cordial interaction contrasted sharply with recent public tensions between the two leaders.

In a post on social media X, Zelenskyy said the meeting was a good one and bearing the potential to become historic.

2. Trump and Macron’s unexpected ‘sign of peace’

In another notable moment during the funeral Mass, Trump took part in the Catholic ritual known as the “sign of peace”.

He exchanged handshakes with his immediate neighbours: Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with whom he recently played golf in Florida, and Estonian President Alar Karis.

But he also reached out to shake hands with French President Emmanuel Macron, seated a short distance away.

In Catholic liturgy, the “sign of peace” occurs after the Our Father and before Communion, when the congregation is invited to offer a gesture of peace to one another, typically a handshake, bow or embrace, depending on tradition.

The handshake with Macron was made possible by last-minute changes to the front-row seating arrangements, as Vatican protocol was set aside for this unprecedented event.

Trump and First Lady Melania, but also Zelenskyy, were given front-row seats alongside other key leaders, highlighting the funeral’s international significance.

3. Trump’s second encounter with Ursula von der Leyen

On the steps of St Peter’s Square, President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen exchanged a handshake.

It was their first encounter since 21 January 2020, when the two met at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Although brief and limited to formal courtesies, the interaction seemed warm, despite recent transatlantic tensions over trade tariffs.

“In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet,” Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pino told journalists on Saturday.

Von der Leyen said on social media X that she “had good exchanges” with several of the leaders gathered to pay their final tribute to the pope.

It remains unclear how many other leaders Trump met during his short stay in Rome. Reports suggest he also spoke briefly with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but also with William, the Prince of Wales.

4. Zelenskyy’s symbolic wardrobe shift

Zelenskyy made a notable change to his typical military attire for the funeral, opting instead for dark clothing.

While still maintaining a military-inspired look, Zelenskyy opted for an elegant black jacket with front pockets and a more informal cut, paired with a dark shirt instead of his typical T-shirt, and dark boots.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zelenskyy has consistently worn informal military dress as a symbol of solidarity with soldiers on the front lines.

However, Zelenskyy’s choice of attire had previously stirred controversy during his last visit to Washington, where a reporter’s question about his informal dress briefly shifted the tone of the event.

His choice to dress more formally for the funeral marked a significant, though subtle, shift for the solemn occasion.

5. An anti-Trump undercurrent in the homily

During his homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated Pope Francis’ unwavering advocacy for migrants and the marginalised—remarks that some saw as a pointed rebuke to President Trump, who was present in the audience.

Re cited Pope Francis’ visits to Lesbos and Lampedusa, two islands symbolising “the tragedy of migration, with thousands of people drowning at sea” but also Pope Francis’ Mass he celebrated at the Mexico–US border.

Cardinal Re also echoed the pope’s enduring exhortation: “Build bridges, not walls,” a phrase long interpreted as a direct critique of Trump’s policies.

The crowd responded with spontaneous applause, especially during Re’s calls for peace and dialogue in the face of war and destruction — an emotional high point of the ceremony.

“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice, imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions,” Re continued.