The sidelines discussion between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the funeral of Pope Francis reflects the role the late pontiff took in the church and diplomacy, former Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney tells Newsmax.

“The role that Pope Francis undertook to broaden the mission of the church, take the church in a lot of places that it really hadn’t been on climate, marginalized people, et cetera, is in contradistinction to a lot of the so-called traditionalists,” Rooney, who served as ambassador from 2005-2008 and was appointed by then-President George W. Bush, told Newsmax’s “Wake Up America Weekend.”

Trump and Zelenskyy were shown before the funeral, speaking with each other in their first in-person meeting since their angry encounter in February in the Oval Office. 

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.