Home»National & World News»Archbishop Martin says pope to visit Ireland for 2018 meeting of families

Archbishop Martin says pope to visit Ireland for 2018 meeting of families

0
Shares
Pinterest WhatsApp

IMAGE: CNS photo/John Mc Elroy

By

DUBLIN (CNS) — Archbishop Diarmuid Martin confirmed that Pope Francis, or his successor, will visit Ireland in 2018 for the World Meeting of Families.

Archbishop Martin confirmed that when he discussed the issue of visiting Ireland with the pontiff, Pope Francis said: “‘I will come’, and he said, ‘if I don’t come, my successor will come.'”

As well as Dublin, the pope would probably visit Northern Ireland to complete the 1979 historic pilgrimage of St John Paul II, when rising tensions in the North made a visit there impossible.

The Irish Catholic said Archbishop Martin made his remarks in an interview with the Irish Independent. The Irish Catholic said that a “well-placed Vatican source” confirmed that “all the indications from Rome are very positive about this.”

“It would obviously be the hope that the Holy Father would make a visit to Northern Ireland and, perhaps, some other parts of Ireland, since many Irish Catholics will want to have an opportunity to attend Mass with Pope Francis,” the source told The Irish Catholic.

Speculation about a papal visit began in September, after Pope Francis announced in Philadelphia that Dublin would host the 2018 World Meeting of Families. Popes have presided at all but two of the eight meetings held since the first meeting in 1994.

– – –

Copyright © 2016 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. www.catholicnews.com. All rights reserved. Republishing or redistributing of CNS content, including by framing or similar means without prior permission, is prohibited. You may link to stories on our public site. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To request permission for republishing or redistributing of CNS content, please contact permissions at [email protected].

Previous post

Friars to make pilgrimage on foot, will say Mass, promote vocations

Next post

Ordination profiles: 3 will be ordained outside archdiocese