1 week Ago By [email protected] (Louise Burne)
President Michael D Higgins has paid his respects to Pope Francis as he lies in state in St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The Pontiff , who died on Easter Monday, will be laid to rest on Saturday in Rome. On Friday morning, President Higgins and his wife Sabina visited the Vatican where they were among thousands of people to see Pope Francis before his coffin is closed.
They will attend the funeral on Saturday and will represent Ireland alongside Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris. In a statement ahead of the funeral, President Higgins once again paid tribute to the late Pontiff, whom he met five times. He said: "As President of Ireland, I am pleased to communicate the appreciation of all of the people of Ireland for the life, the documents and the contacts to the most vulnerable all over the world made by Pope Francis, who I was honoured to meet with on five occasions.
“The world was struck by the generosity given by Pope Francis, right until the very last moments of his life, in terms of seeking to embrace, as he put it, all of humanity. “Through his life and his work, Pope Francis led by example in embracing so many of the most important issues facing humanity. “In particular, he was a strong advocate for the fulfilling of obligations in relation to Mother Nature and the indigenous peoples who are paying the highest price for the consequences of climate change, he was a strong spokesperson for how global poverty could be eliminated, and he gave leadership in relation to the rights of migrants.
“In attending the funeral and celebrating the life of Pope Francis, it is important to stress his work on our shared humanity and on the importance of peace, sustainability and of rights." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here ..
