Pope Francis… to visit Derry.
Pope Francis is to visit Derry next year, Derry Daily can reveal.
The Pontiff will turn down an invite, if it comes, from Belfast City Council who will tonight debate a motion tabled by SDLP Councillor Pat McCarthy asking the council to formally invite the leader of the world’s estimated 1.2 billion Catholics to visit the city.
Unionists have voiced opposition to the proposed visit by the 77-year-old Argentinian.
As a result, Vatican officials are recommending the Pope visit Derry in 12 months time.
Senior Papal representatives are travelling from Rome to attend the installation of the new Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Dr Donal McKeown, in St Eugene’s Cathedral this Sunday.
Dr Donal McKeown will be installed as Bishop of Derry on Sunday.
While here, they will begin preliminary negotiations for the visit with Archbishop Eamon Martin, Coadjutor Bishop of the Archdiocese, who comes from Derry.
Archbishop Martin, who is set to succeed Cardinal Sean Brady as Primate of All-Ireland when he retires, is highly thought of by the Vatican hierarchy.
It is understood, the Pope’s advisors gave the go-ahead for the visit after US President Barack Obama offered to provide security back-up when he met Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican last week.
No one was available at the Derry Diocesan Office for comment, however, a Vatican spokesperson revealed His Holiness had expressed an interest in visiting here after viewing a documentary programme about last year’s City of Culture screened recently on Italian television.
Monsignor Olof Ripla, from the Holy See Press Office, said: “His Holiness is aware of a possible invitation to visit Belfast. However, his personal wish is to visit Derry. As a lover of music and all things cultural, he was highly impressed by the 2013 City of Culture, especially the All-Ireland traditional music festival.”
Monsignor Ripla said 1 April next year had been pencilled as a provisional date for the visit.
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