Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny during a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 28.
Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny during a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 28. CNS photo/Alessandra Tarantino, Reuters pool

In meeting with prime minister, Pope says he will visit Ireland in 2018

By 
  • November 28, 2016

VATICAN CITY – After meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said the Pope confirmed he will visit Ireland in 2018 and that trip organizers would look at the possibility of a stop in Northern Ireland.

The Pope and prime minister met Nov. 28. A Vatican statement said the two discussed the Catholic Church's contributions to Ireland, particularly "in the social and educational fields," and about how important it is for Christians to take an active role in public life, "especially in the promotion of respect for the dignity of every person, starting with the weakest and defenseless."

Migration, high levels of unemployment among youths and the political and institutional challenges faced by Europe also were on the agenda, the Vatican said.

After the meeting, Kenny told reporters that Pope Francis confirmed his intention to attend the next World Meeting of Families, which is scheduled for Dublin in 2018.

According to the Irish Independent newspaper, Kenny said he spoke to the Pope about "a number of issues that would, in my view, help greatly his visit when it comes in 2018," including the need to strongly condemn clerical sexual abuse as he did during his visit to the United States in 2015.

The prime minister, the newspaper said, "added that he would like to see the Pope travel to Northern Ireland, to complete a journey that Pope John Paul II couldn't do in 1979."

"I said to him that very point: that John Paul couldn't go because of 'The Troubles' at the time," the prime minister was quoted as saying.

Tagged under:

Related items

More in this category: « Catholic leaders in Holy Land pray for those hit by wildfires Scientists play a key role in solving climate change and its social consequences, Pope says »

Please support The Catholic Register

Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.

For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.

DONATE