Pope Francis Foreign Affairs Minister Charles Flanagan said the Government “would hope that were Pope Francis to visit Ireland, he would also take the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland”.
The Government has expressed hope that the Pope will visit the North if he comes to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families in 2018.
Foreign Affairs Minister Charles Flanagan said the Government “would hope that were Pope Francis to visit Ireland, he would also take the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland”.
Responding to a question in the Dáil, Mr Flanagan also insisted that should the Pope accept an invitation from the Irish bishops, the visit would have the full backing of the Government.
“When the Taoiseach met Pope Francis in April 2014, he availed of the opportunity to advise that were the Pope to accept an invitation from the Catholic bishops, such a visit would have the full support of the Government,” he said.
Meeting
The Irish Catholic reported last month that Pope Francis is set to visit Ireland, after it had been confirmed by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
The Archbishop of Dublin previously revealed that he had invited the Pope to preside at the World Meeting of Families, a Vatican-sponsored event that is due to take place in Dublin in 2018.
Dr Martin later confirmed that when he discussed the issue of visiting Ireland with the Pontiff, Francis said “‘I will come’, and he said, ‘if I don’t come, my successor will come’,” indicating that the 2018 encounter is high on the papal agenda.