Pope Francis could still visit Northern Ireland, archbishop suggests
Pope Francis could still visit Northern Ireland, despite a stop not part of his scheduled itinerary in August, Irish bishops have suggested.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said that although a 'political event' was impossible, if Northern Ireland bishops organised an event around the family 'that might make it easier'.
Pope Francis is scheduled to make a brief visit to Ireland on August 25-26 for the World Meeting of Families.
He will be the first pope to visit since St John Paul II in 1971, where the Troubles made a visit to Northern Ireland too sensitive and dangerous.
Before the official announcement was made last month hopes were raised that with peace in place north of the border, Francis might become the first pontiff to visit Belfast.
That seems to have been put on ice with a senior Vatican source telling Christian Today that Brexit and the issue of a hard border 'complicates things quite a bit'.
Why? Because the concept of a divided Ireland is anyway controversial, especially among Catholics, and a visit by the pope at a time of political uncertainty and unrest could be seen a an endorsement, however faint, of the concept of that divisive, hard border. Prior to the Brexit vote in 2016, the North and South were making very serious inroads towards peace, and a trip to the former by Francis would have been seen as backing nothing other than peace. Instead, it now would have much more complicated connotations in this most sensitive of former conflict zones.
Therefore, it appears that a potential papal trip to Northern Ireland has been the first major international event that has fallen victim to Brexit.
However despite the warnings a number of bishops have voiced hopes the possibility of a trip north could still get the go ahead.
'He is coming for the World Meeting of Families, that is his primary purpose. He will focus on the many difficulties and challenges families have to face,' Martin said.
'He doesn't want big shows, he wants to be just present with those who are marginalised,' Martin added amid speculation he may visit a prison, as he is prone to do in Italy.
