Pope Francis and Cllr. Bobby – The Update

Pope Francis visit to Ireland is on for 2018 but will he be allowed to visit Kerry as Cllr. Bobby O'Connell called for?
Pope Francis will visit Ireland in 2018 but will he be allowed to visit Kerry as Cllr. Bobby O’Connell called for?

Do you remember last December I told you that Cllr. Bobby O’Connell put down a notice of motion at a Kerry County Council meeting which was held in the community centre in Milltown.

Cllr. Bobby’s motion was short and sweet and it read:

“That Kerry County Council put in place proposals to invite Pope Francis to Kerry when he visits Ireland in 2018.”

Letter from Nuncio

It was done as he bid and so it rested. Then last week Liam Quinlan, Meetings Administrator with Kerry County Council got a letter from the Apostolic Nunciature in Ireland from 183 Navan Navan Road in Dublin.

Mr. Quinlan passed a copy of the letter on to Cllr. O’Connell and it goes as following response:

The letter from Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles J. Brown in response to Cllr. Bobby O'Connell's notice of motion at a Kerry County Council meeting.
The letter from Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles J. Brown in response to Cllr. Bobby O’Connell’s notice of motion at a Kerry County Council meeting. Click to enlarge.

Dear Mr. Quinlan,

The Apostolic Nunciature thanks you for your letter (BR/Dec 16/NoM3/18) of 13 March 2017, in which you communicated the decision of the members of Kerry County Council to extend an invitation to His Holiness Pope Francis to visit County Kerry.

While the possibility that Pope Francis will visit Ireland in 2018 is being widely discussed in the media at the present time, a formal and official announcement by the Holy See regarding such a visit has not yet been made.

The Holy See is very grateful for the kind invitation made by Kerry Councy Council, which will be given attentive consideration. It must be kept in mind, however, that should a visit by the Holy Father to Ireland take place, it will surely be very limited with regard to its duration and itenerary.

With kind regards and prayerful good wishes, I am

Sincerely yours,

Archbishop Charles J. Brown,

Apostolic Nuncio

The letter also carries a KCC / Danny Sheehy style stamp at the bottom. What do you think of that Joe Brolly ?

Things Have Moved On

However, things have moved on somewhat from even that recent letter. It has now been confirmed that Pope Francis will indeed visit Ireland and he chose the 2018 World Meeting of Families for the visit.

It has also emerged that his visit will be far shorter than people here would have wished.

In this context I can’t help recalling the half prayer that the late Mike Kenny lived by. When we’d be to the pins of our collars and the bottom of the purse visible he’d issue the well meant and oft repeated: ‘God is Good’ – and He always was somehow.

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