President Higgins to attend lying in state and funeral of Pope Francis
Date: Fri 25th Apr, 2025 | 08:25
Uachtarán na hÉireann, President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina have travelled to Rome where they are attending the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis.
The President and Sabina will today pay their respects at the lying in state of the late Pontiff in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
On Saturday, the President and Sabina will return to St Peter's Square where they will join with Heads of State and Heads of Government and their delegations from around the world in attending the funeral of Pope Francis.
In a statement ahead of the funeral, President Higgins 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."
Following the funeral, the President will visit the Pontifical Irish College, where he will meet with the Rector, Fr Paul Finnerty, the Vice Rector, Fr Emmanuel Obi, and members of the wider community at the College.