Overview

• The Vatican officially announced Pope Francis's death early Monday, with his body now lying in state pending funeral arrangements.
• President Donald Trump declared on Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral, marking his first foreign trip of his second term.
• Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff as a gesture of respect for the late Pope Francis, a move consistent with national mourning protocols.
• Online reactions to Trump’s announcement criticized the enthusiastic tone, with some commentators mocking his phrasing as inappropriate for the solemn occasion.
• Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell presided over the formal certification of Pope Francis's death and the laying of his body in the coffin, as confirmed by the Vatican.