A Clare native working in the Vatican claims it’s as if the world has lost a “grandfather figure” with the passing of Pope Francis.
It’s been confirmed the late pontiff’s funeral will be held on Saturday morning at Saint Peter’s Basilica.
As the Vatican reveals details concerning his funeral arrangements, world leaders and commentators are weighing up the legacy of Pope Francis.
While he wasn’t without his critics, it’s widely acknowledged that the late Holy Father was decidedly more progressive than those came before him and was a strong advocate for marginalised groups.
Throughout his 12-year tenure, he lent his support to the decriminalisation of homosexuality as well as the cause of refugees while speaking out against anti-immigration rhetoric and famously asserting that “all religions are paths to God”.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says he was a voice of “pure love and mercy” who dealt with church scandals in a way his predecessors had failed to.
Since October 2023, Pope Francis had been heavily critical of Israel’s actions in Palestine, insisting “terror should not justify terror” and pointing to the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in Gaza.
Tánaiste Simon Harris even in his final weeks, he was focused on peace.
A source of controversy of the Pope’s reign was his handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church.
In 2014, he reversed a decision made by Pope Benedict to have an Italian priest accused of child sexual abuse defrocked, instead ruling that the accused should remain a priest but should be removed from public ministry.
In 2017, after the priest was convicted in an Italian civil court, he reverted to Pope Benedict’s original decision, admitting he had mishandled the case.
Former president and canon law expert Mary McAleese says Pope Francis also fell short when it came to advancing the role of women in the Church.
Following his funeral at Saint Peter’s Basilica at 9am Irish time on Saturday, Pope Francis’s coffin will be taken inside the church and brought from there to the Rome basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.
This will mark the beginning of nine days of mourning after which point the process of choosing a new pope will commence.
Ennis native and Vatican correspondent for EWTN, the Global Catholic Television Network, Colm Flynn, says for many around the world, it feels like someone in their family has passed away.
You can listen to the full interview here:
