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I think about my funeral a bit - mainly because both my parents died early.

They never got to be my vast age so I keep thinking death is around the corner, a product of my family history.

Lots of flowers. Lots of singing.

My beloved husband, children and grandchildren all saying funny things about me.

No point pretending, in retrospect, that I was anything more than largely imperfect.

But I do have a list of guests and that will be shared with my fam when the time comes.

Small number of people I actually liked while I was alive - and with whom I was still in touch before I shuffled off the mortal coil.

Guest lists matter - which is why I feel very sorry for the late Pope Francis.

Here was a man who did his very best to reform the Catholic Church, to make it stop hating hating on gays and women, to have humility and generosity, to deliver kindness and compassion to those thrust into wars beyond their command.

Think Gaza. Think Ukraine. The man was a walking excellent advertisement for diversity, equity and inclusion, for compassion, care and concern.

And who is the first to put his hand up to attend the late pontiff's funeral? Someone who doesn't exhibit any of those characteristics. Yep, introducing the President of the United States of America, Mr Donald Trump.

The body of the Bishop of Rome wasn't even cold before Trump announced, on vulgar social network Truth Social no less, that he and his wife Melania would attend the funeral.

I doubt the invitations have even been issued but that's Trump, being Trump. Pushing his way to the head of a queue he hasn't even been asked to join.

What's worse is that Trump knows Pope Francis wasn't a fan of the US President's policies.

Back during the 2016 US presidential election, the Pontiff made it clear that the whole wall thing between Mexico and the US was unChristian, which yeah.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Pope Francis said.

At the time, Trump was his usual ghastly self. He called the Pope's comments disgraceful and made some weird comments about ISIS attacking the Vatican.

As the New York Times put it this week, Pope Francis believed Christian love required compassionate care for migrants, and that Mr. Trump's agenda of mass deportation violated the "

© The Examiner