Pope Francis is being urged by church and political leaders to make an historic visit to Northern Ireland during his 2018 trip to the Republic for the World Meeting of Families. The Irish Prime Minister, Enda Kenny, confirmed that the Pope had accepted his invitation to visit Ireland after a meeting in Rome on Monday.
“I explained to him that as head of the Catholic Church and head of the Vatican that the Government will make the appropriate arrangements for him and we discussed what he might do and that is a matter for dialogue between His Holiness and the bishops,” Mr Kenny said. “Obviously if that means that he also travels to Northern Ireland we will assist and cooperate in making whatever arrangements they want to arrive at.”
The trip will be the first visit by a pope to Ireland in almost 40 years, following John Paul II’s trip in 1979, who did not visit the North. But it will be the second visit by Pope Francis to the country: in January 1980, the then Fr Jorge Bergoglio arrived in Dublin to spend some months learning English at the Milltown Institute.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said that the primary purpose of the Pope’s visit would be to attend the World Meeting of Families in Dublin – but he did not rule out a visit to the North. “One could imagine a gesture of Pope Francis – because he is a man of gesture – of bringing communities together,” he said. “He is not a man for the protocol events – he will do what he has to do, but I would see him bringing together families, communities, overcoming hostilities – I think that is one of his great talents. And with Pope Francis you can do all the planning you like but in the end he surprises everyone.”
A papal visit to Northern Ireland would be a “deeply symbolic and powerful moment” said the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh. It would come after the Queen’s visit and the first state visit of Irish President Michael Higgins to London.
“That would be in my mind completed by a visit by the Holy Father to Northern Ireland, where he will be welcomed by members of all the traditions here,” Archbishop Martin said.
Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister, said he believed Pope Francis would cross the border. “I believe he would receive a very warm welcome throughout the island,” he added. Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, First Minister Arlene Foster, has said she will meet him in his capacity as head of state.
Protestant leaders in Ireland have also looked forward to the visit, with the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Dr Michael Jackson, saying that he and the bishops of the Church of Ireland welcomed the news.
Revd Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, said that Pope Francis would be welcome in Ireland.
“I am sure that many, many Roman Catholics both south and north of the border will be very excited and encouraged by the news that Pope Francis is likely to attend the 2018 gathering of the World Meeting of Families. If this materialises, I would hope that all other people on this island will want to join with our fellow citizens in welcoming the leader of their Church to Ireland,” he said.
But members of the Free Presbyterian Church, of which the Revd Ian Paisley was a member, said they would protest against the visit.
Mr Kenny’s confirmation of the papal visit comes after a formal request from the Irish Catholic Bishops for the Pope to attend the 2018 World Meeting of Families.
01 December 2016, The Tablet
Papal visit seen as historic opportunity for all communities
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