Vatican City • In a solemn and majestic funeral on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Roman Catholic Church on Saturday laid to rest Pope Francis, the first South American pope, whose simple style, pastoral vision and outsize footprint on the world stage reinvigorated and divided the institution that he led for a dozen years.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were among those attending the funeral of Pope Francis. Former President Biden attended, too.

The president got a front-row seat to Pope Francis’s funeral Saturday. But that particular seat wasn’t the one that mattered most.