European politicians criticized for selfies during Pope's funeral

A Polish politician taking a selfie against the backdrop of the Pope's funeral. Photo: rmf24.pl

After the funeral of Pope Francis, which took place on April 26 in the Vatican, a wave of criticism arose in the media and social networks across Europe directed at European politicians who allowed themselves to take selfies at the mourning ceremony.

The Prime Minister of Bavaria, Markus Söder, found himself at the center of a scandal after he posted a smiling selfie on social media X (formerly Twitter) against the backdrop of the motorcade heading to the funeral.

“Just arrived in Rome: now in the motorcade with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier heading to the Vatican for the farewell ceremony for the late Pope Francis,” he captioned the photo.

The photograph sparked a strong reaction from users who deemed the politician's behavior disrespectful to the occasion. German politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann also expressed her disapproval, stating: “Selfies at funerals are inappropriate. A pope's funeral is not Oktoberfest.”

Upon arriving in the Vatican, Söder continued to post photographs, emphasizing that “we will miss Pope Francis very much.”

Other politicians have also been caught up in similar scandals. For example, the speaker of the Polish Sejm, Szymon Hołownia, faced criticism for taking photos on his phone during the farewell service for the Pope.

Social media users and journalists from some European media outlets believe that the behavior of the politicians contradicts basic norms of respect for the memory of the deceased and church etiquette.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the date of the first conclave meeting for the election of the Pope has been announced.

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