Pope Benedict XVI Blog

Archbishop Brady invites the Pope to visit Ireland

Belfast Telegraph
By Alf McCreary
30 October 2006

Pope Benedict XVI has been invited by the Roman Catholic Primate Archbishop Sean Brady to visit Ireland.

At the end of a two-week pilgrimage to Rome by the Irish bishops, Dr Brady issued a formal invitation to the Pope to follow in the footsteps of St. Patrick and "your venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II".

As predicted in the Belfast Telegraph at the start of the visit two weeks ago, the invitation to the Pope was likely to be made during the pilgrimage to Rome, where the Irish hierarchy not only met the Pope personally but also a number of leading Vatican officials, including those responsible for his visits.

Informed sources have indicated that Archbishop Brady and his fellow bishops have been anxious for some time that Pope Benedict should come to Ireland to "complete" the visit of Pope John Paul II who was unable to come to Armagh for security reasons.

Such a visit would be particularly appropriate in the event of a political settlement in Northern Ireland, although it is understood that such a visit might cause difficulties for the DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley.
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posted by Dr. Denice Hanley, DPM, M.Div. @ 11:41 AM