Pope Francis' Final Diplomatic Gesture
According to the last U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the late Pope Francis would have felt "filled with hope" regarding the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
TroibNews 
VATICAN CITY — The death of Pope Francis drew over 200,000 mourners, including world leaders who momentarily set aside their differences to honor him.
Prior to Francis’ funeral Mass held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, former President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a “very productive discussion,” as noted by White House communications director Steven Cheung.
Zelenskyy's office released a memorable image of Trump and Zelenskyy sitting close together in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking their first meeting since a controversial encounter at the White House in February.
Ukrainian spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov remarked that their meeting lasted approximately 15 minutes. “The leaders agreed to continue the talks. The teams are working to organize a follow-up meeting,” he added.
Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social, primarily criticizing The New York Times' Peter Baker for his “notably one-sided” peace deal analysis, while also expressing skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions, stating, “maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war.”
During his life, Francis felt the burdens of war, especially concerning the repatriation of the 19,000 Ukrainian children deported to Russia, according to Joe Donnelly, the most recent U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who shared his thoughts with PMG from Rome after attending the funeral.
“I think that Pope Francis would have been filled with hope, and would hope that the result that came out of that meeting would be a good one for Ukraine and the world,” Donnelly remarked on the image of Zelenskyy and Trump.
He recounted his efforts as ambassador with special envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, where they “almost nonstop” worked to return the Ukrainian children taken by Russia and initiate peace talks. “Our dream was that the Vatican would be the perfect place for it — and look what happened today.”
Under an azure sky on Saturday, with sunlight gracing St. Peter’s Square and Gregorian chants echoing, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re eulogized Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.”
Donnelly noted the presence of numerous young people among the mourners, stating, “a crowd that the pope would’ve been so happy to see because it was people from all over the world, and it was folks he cared the most about: those who didn’t have much materially, but had the biggest possible heart spiritually.”
He expressed that Francis’ legacy would transcend the Catholic faith. “I think his legacy will be that the people of the world loved him in every corner, in every place. That people of every faith loved him, and if you talk about a goodwill ambassador for the Catholic Church, it’s hard to imagine anybody who’s ever been better.”
In a notable moment, Francis also brought together Trump and former President Joe Biden in the same venue for the first time since their Inauguration Day meeting; the Bidens sat four rows behind Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
While much of the service was conducted in Latin, one brief reading from the book of Acts was delivered in English: “Truly, I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him…”
Donnelly remarked that “President Trump made a wise choice” by attending.
Trump explained his decision to attend the funeral was “simple.” While speaking to reporters mid-flight on Air Force One, he stated he traveled to Rome "out of respect" for the Pope, quickly shifting the focus to his past electoral support among Catholics. “We did well with the Catholic vote, and our relationship is very good so therefore I think it’s appropriate,” he said, revealing the multifaceted nature of his response.
The funeral also served as a platform for Trump to present himself on a global stage amidst America’s increasingly isolationist policy direction.
Besides his brief meeting with Zelenskyy before the service, Trump mingled with other leaders, including conversing with Estonian President Alar Karis, accepting water from Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and chatting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a few minutes.
This journey across the globe emphasized that despite efforts to withdraw from the international stage, the U.S. remains prominently involved.
Donnelly reflected on Francis’ simple lifestyle—highlighting his modest possessions, love for the tango, and joyful interactions with the ambassador’s granddaughter—while also conveying the pontiff's warm yet complex relationship with the U.S.
“He’d say, ‘I love America.’ And then he’d laugh," Donnelly recounted. "And the laugh was kind of like: It’s a challenging place for me.”
Megan Messerly contributed to this report from Vatican City and aboard Air Force One. The story initially appeared in PMG Playbook.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
Prior to Francis’ funeral Mass held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, former President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a “very productive discussion,” as noted by White House communications director Steven Cheung.
Zelenskyy's office released a memorable image of Trump and Zelenskyy sitting close together in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking their first meeting since a controversial encounter at the White House in February.
Ukrainian spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov remarked that their meeting lasted approximately 15 minutes. “The leaders agreed to continue the talks. The teams are working to organize a follow-up meeting,” he added.
Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social, primarily criticizing The New York Times' Peter Baker for his “notably one-sided” peace deal analysis, while also expressing skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions, stating, “maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war.”
During his life, Francis felt the burdens of war, especially concerning the repatriation of the 19,000 Ukrainian children deported to Russia, according to Joe Donnelly, the most recent U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, who shared his thoughts with PMG from Rome after attending the funeral.
“I think that Pope Francis would have been filled with hope, and would hope that the result that came out of that meeting would be a good one for Ukraine and the world,” Donnelly remarked on the image of Zelenskyy and Trump.
He recounted his efforts as ambassador with special envoy Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, where they “almost nonstop” worked to return the Ukrainian children taken by Russia and initiate peace talks. “Our dream was that the Vatican would be the perfect place for it — and look what happened today.”
Under an azure sky on Saturday, with sunlight gracing St. Peter’s Square and Gregorian chants echoing, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re eulogized Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.”
Donnelly noted the presence of numerous young people among the mourners, stating, “a crowd that the pope would’ve been so happy to see because it was people from all over the world, and it was folks he cared the most about: those who didn’t have much materially, but had the biggest possible heart spiritually.”
He expressed that Francis’ legacy would transcend the Catholic faith. “I think his legacy will be that the people of the world loved him in every corner, in every place. That people of every faith loved him, and if you talk about a goodwill ambassador for the Catholic Church, it’s hard to imagine anybody who’s ever been better.”
In a notable moment, Francis also brought together Trump and former President Joe Biden in the same venue for the first time since their Inauguration Day meeting; the Bidens sat four rows behind Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.
While much of the service was conducted in Latin, one brief reading from the book of Acts was delivered in English: “Truly, I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him…”
Donnelly remarked that “President Trump made a wise choice” by attending.
Trump explained his decision to attend the funeral was “simple.” While speaking to reporters mid-flight on Air Force One, he stated he traveled to Rome "out of respect" for the Pope, quickly shifting the focus to his past electoral support among Catholics. “We did well with the Catholic vote, and our relationship is very good so therefore I think it’s appropriate,” he said, revealing the multifaceted nature of his response.
The funeral also served as a platform for Trump to present himself on a global stage amidst America’s increasingly isolationist policy direction.
Besides his brief meeting with Zelenskyy before the service, Trump mingled with other leaders, including conversing with Estonian President Alar Karis, accepting water from Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and chatting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a few minutes.
This journey across the globe emphasized that despite efforts to withdraw from the international stage, the U.S. remains prominently involved.
Donnelly reflected on Francis’ simple lifestyle—highlighting his modest possessions, love for the tango, and joyful interactions with the ambassador’s granddaughter—while also conveying the pontiff's warm yet complex relationship with the U.S.
“He’d say, ‘I love America.’ And then he’d laugh," Donnelly recounted. "And the laugh was kind of like: It’s a challenging place for me.”
Megan Messerly contributed to this report from Vatican City and aboard Air Force One. The story initially appeared in PMG Playbook.
Thomas Evans for TROIB News
