Dear Editor, At their annual Ard Fheis at the weekend Fianna Fáil delegates passed a motion calling on the Government to invite Pope Francis to Ireland. Let’s hope that Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore will have the graciousness to do so. Where there was talk of Pope Benedict XVI visiting – a great honour for our country – the Government seemed disinterested to say the least.
The much-vaunted and highly-successful visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Ireland was seen as a moment of national maturity where past enmity could be set aside in the hope of a better future. Those expressing anti-British sentiment were dismissed as the dinosaurs they are. Let’s hope that if the Pope does come those now spouting anti-Catholic sentiment will have the maturity to set their disagreements behind them and embrace the wonderful message that our Pope could bring on a visit to Ireland.
Yours etc.,
Patrick Byrne
Glassan,
Co. Westmeath.