‘Francis would have prayed for those who mock him,' says Belfast priest who helped organise pope's Ireland visit
He helped organise Pope Francis's visit to the Republic of Ireland seven years ago, during which His Holiness travelled to the Knock shrine on the west of the island and addressed tens of thousands of people at an open-air mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
On Easter Monday, Pope Francis's death was mocked by some participants in an Apprentice Boys of Derry parade in Lisburn.
Footage from the annual event, which is widely considered as the opener of the unionist marching season, captured the Pride of Knockmore Flute Band playing 'No Pope of Rome', lyrics to which include: 'No, no Pope of Rome, no chapels to sadden my eyes, no nuns and no priests, no rosary beads, every day is the 12th of July.'
The incident came just hours after the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church died.
"No Pope of Rome" played during Apprentice Boys of Derry parade in Lisburn on day of Pope's death
Speaking about the event, which has been condemned by many political figures, Fr Bartlett said: 'For me, the overwhelming response from our politicians, from civic society [and] from our society has been one of sensitivity, sympathy, support and concern. Look, that's our only future. That's all I will say.
'Pope Francis wouldn't be bothered too much about it and would pray for those who maybe mocked him or joked about him. He wouldn't give him a lot of attention. Nor will I. Nor should we.
'That's their business. We have to build a better future in a different way for all of us. And the only way, Pope Francis would say, is together with mutual respect, love and care for each other.'
Fr Bartlett, alongside Lord Mayor Micky Murray, opened the book of condolences for Pope Francis at Belfast City Hall this afternoon.
Francis was only the second pope to ever visit the island of Ireland, after Pope John Paul II visited in 1979.
Though neither ventured north, Fr Bartlett said Francis 'followed the [political] situation here in Ireland, and in the north, very, very carefully'.
'He actually had been in Ireland as a Jesuit priest in 1980 for a while to learn English,' he explained.
'He blames us for his poor English — although I don't know if he maybe just had too much fun and didn't bother about the learning of English. We just don't know!
'But he also knew a lot of Irish missionaries in South America, and that was one of the reasons he chose to come to Ireland as pope, because his theme was 'let's go out, let's be missionaries, let's go out to the peripheries, the poor, the marginalised'.
'He saw the church in Ireland as a church that had done that over the centuries, and he wanted to honour that and to come and be part of it.
'But he also followed the political situation here very carefully, was well advised about it, and the only reason in the end that he didn't come north was [because] the original programme was too tight.
'And the more he looked into it, and others looked into it, there was so much that could be done and needed to be done.
'They realised [that a visit north] couldn't fit into the event, [with] the work meeting of families that was happening in Dublin.
'So, it was an open, alive invitation, right up to the moment of his death, that he might have come and visited this part of our island as part of a wider visit.'
The Belfast-born priest also witnessed Pope Francis compose his personal apology to victims of abuse in the Catholic Church, which the pontiff then read at his mass in Phoenix Park.
Some members of SAVIA (Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse) in NI said that although Francis was 'hands-on, with a big heart', they hope that the new pope will have 'a proactive approach to dealing with victims'.
Fr Bartlett said: 'Pope Francis, I think, would have been the first to say there's just no response you can give, no apology that's adequate [for] the whole scale of abuse within churches and other institutions in society, and no apology is sufficient for any individual and what they experienced in terms of abuse.
'But it was important — and I think history will record this — that not only did he issue an apology, but it was from his heart. It was written by his own hand, in his own words, after meeting survivors of abuse.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
4 hours ago
- NBC News
U.S. citizen who helped Russia from inside Ukraine granted passport by Putin
, a U.S. citizen who helped the Kremlin target Ukrainian troops and was then spirited out of eastern Ukraine by Russian special forces, has received a Russian passport in Moscow. Russian state television broadcast a report on Tuesday showing Martindale, with a trim beard and dressed in a suit and tie, smiling as he received his new documents. 'I, Daniel Richard Martindale, voluntarily and consciously, accepting the citizenship of the Russian Federation, swear to observe the constitution,' he said in Russian. 'The belief that Russia is not just my home, but also my family — I am extremely glad that this is not only in my heart, but also by law,' Martindale told television cameras, holding up the Russian passport. Martindale grew up on farms in upstate New York and Indiana, the child of missionaries who later moved to rural China, according to a Wall Street Journal report. A brief trip over the border into Russia's Far East during the family's time in China sparked Martindale's interest in Russia. In 2018, Martindale, now in his early 30s, moved to Vladivostok, a Russian port city on the Pacific, where he studied Russian and taught English, before being deported a year later for violating labour laws, the Journal said. He moved to southern Poland, but was keen to return to Russia, the Journal said. In 2022, Martindale entered Ukraine just days before President Vladimir Putin ordered thousands of troops into Ukraine. Martindale told reporters at a press conference last November that he established contact with pro-Russian forces via Telegram and passed them information on Ukrainian military facilities from the Donetsk region in the country's east. Reuters was not able to contact Martindale to ask about his motivation for helping Russia. A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Moscow did not immediately reply to a request for comment. On Tuesday, Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the Russian-controlled part of Donetsk region, presented Martindale with his Russian documents, which he said were awarded by a decree from Putin. Pushilin expressed gratitude to Martindale, saying some of the information he had shared formed the basis for Russian planning to seize Kurakhove, a town near the key Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk. Martindale 'has long since proven with his loyalty and actions that he is one of us.' 'For us, this (the Russian passport) is a sign of respect and a sign of gratitude for what Daniel has done.'
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Forget the fuss about the Scots language. First, improve our English
There's also the huge question of dialect or regional accents that have survived for centuries. We hear this more and more in TV and movies with what we would call proper English almost never used. It's mainly newsreaders or weather people who use the standard English I was taught at school. We are already struggling with dozens of languages being spoken in many of our inner city schools. The need for pupils to communicate in a common language remains vital to development and integration into society. A language can only survive if passed down from generation to generation. It cannot survive by millions of pounds of public cash being used to prop it up. The ultimate irony is that most Scandinavians and Dutch now speak better English than many of us. John Gilligan, Ayr. Royals not fit for 21st century Guy Stenhouse's article ("It's time for us to cast aside prejudice and go for the cash", The Herald, July 12) started out purporting to support continuing the existence of the royal family as it presently operates, but dwindled into a defence of their more wealthy subjects. He mentioned the tax which the "non-doms" pay and the threat of this being increased by Rachel Reeves. He failed to mention that the royal family for many years paid no tax at all until embarrassed into doing so and that recently Prince William chose not to reveal details of his financial affairs. He apparently has the right to do so. Would that we all had this right. Around this time he publicly made a promise to help solve the problem of our homeless people while Buckingham Palace, containing over 700 rooms, is undergoing a refurbishment costing hundreds of millions of pounds. Mr Stenhouse lauds the amount of revenue gained through tourism but if the royal family were given less expensive but secure accommodation, then I believe that all the palaces and castles could be opened to the public, which could possibly generate more income for the country. Read more letters He made many other puerile points, one of which compliments Princess Anne on at least knowing where Lanark is. But would she know the price of a loaf of bread? I do not know any royal person and bear none any malice or harm but I am seriously concerned about us not having any clear control over how "The Firm" is operated. They invent new titles for each other as did the Queen Mother, bestow each other accolades and continue to live in extreme luxury while the increase in child poverty in Great Britain has never been so high. Mr Stenhouse does make one true statement when he writes "the royal family doesn't cost us a penny". They cost us millions, they are not appropriate for the 21st century and we are not given any choice about what they choose to do. Tina Oakes, Stonehaven. Vexed over vaccinations The recent outbreak of measles in Liverpool and justifiable concerns about low vaccination rates brings the debate on rights and responsibilities into focus ("Child dies after getting measles", The Herald, July 14). The parents of their little Jonny have the right to demur from vaccinating him and in the sad event of harm to their son they bear the harsh Darwinian responsibility for any adverse outcome. On the other side, society asks its members to take a small risk of an adverse event from a vaccine for the greater good. There cannot be a clearer case for automatic, rapid financial support of Jonny in such an event. What, however happens to Jonny's pal Peter, an immunocompromised child at school, who gets measles from Jonny and is harmed or dies? Do Jonny's parents not have responsibilities to Peter and do not Peter's parents have rights of redress against the culpable avoidable harm Jonny's parents have done by their actions? John Murdoch, Innellan. A good walk enhanced I cannot let the correspondence about 12-hole golf courses (Letters, July 12) pass without mention of what must be a contender for the title of the most scenic such course in Scotland, the Shiskine at Blackwaterfoot on Arran. Particularly to those like myself of limited golfing ability, its spectacular views across the Kilbrannan Sound to Kintyre give the lie to the saying that golf is a good walk spoiled. Also, its claim to have Bruce's cave nearby could be said to provide morale encouragement to those experiencing disappointment on the course. Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop. Amanda Anisimova following her defeat to Iga Swiatek in the Ladies' Singles Final at Wimbledon (Image: PA) An unnecessary public trial I write to complain about the way the BBC and The All England Club treated the defeated ladies finalist Amanda Anisimova on Saturday (July 12). The young woman was clearly hugely distressed at the end of the match. Yet, the BBC, and probably the club, needed that interview on court. She was distraught. Good old Annabelle gave her "a minute" to compose herself. It was brutal and so very sad, not only for Amanda, but also for her team, especially her mum. Amanda should have been allowed to go and see her mum and team rather than be forced to bare her heart and soul to millions. It was no doubt incredibly distressing to watch for her team and family. It was shameful and should never be allowed to happen again. Paul McPherson, Newtonmore.
The Independent
5 hours ago
- The Independent
I burnt my house down and was left homeless as a child, says Italian PM Giorgia Meloni
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has revealed she accidentally burnt her house down as a child and was left homeless. Ms Meloni, 48, recalled building a makeshift fort with her older sister and lighting a candle inside it before a blaze destroyed her home. 'Opening the door, we were nearly engulfed by flames. There it was: a panda burning along with all our toys,' she said in her memoir I am Giorgia: My Roots, My Principles by Giorgia Meloni. 'The fire consumed the entire apartment. We fled with nothing but a single bag hastily packed with pyjamas, two pairs of pants and a T-shirt.' Ms Meloni was born in 1977 after her then 23-year-old mother made a last-minute decision not to have an abortion. Soon after she was delivered, her father, an accountant from Rome, left the family. He set sail for the Canary Islands and she stayed in touch with him until deciding to never see him again at age 11. In the memoir, she also revealed her determination to succeed despite feelings of inadequacy comes from the lack of her father's love. She said she grew up convinced she didn't deserve anything due to her father's abandonment at a young age. But she said the 'pain of not being loved enough' spurred her on to 'relentlessly prove otherwise' in male-dominated environments. 'His lack of love is what scarred me,' the mother-of-one said. What hurt the most was his indifference to us. He made it clear we were not his priority when it came to love.' The Italian leader admitted the 'wound' of her father's abandonment meant she grappled with a daily 'fear of inadequacy' and 'falling short'. 'This fear fuels my attention to detail, my stubbornness, my commitment, my willingness to make sacrifices,' she said. 'Competing with men, seeking their approval, the friendship and the esteem of my colleagues, all of it is the result of that wound. 'The constant need to meet high standards, especially in male-dominated environments, along with my fear of disappointing those who believe in me, probably stem from the lack of my father's love.' Ms Meloni, the first female Italian PM, has led Italy since 2022 and is often at summits alongside some of the world's most powerful men like JD Vance, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. She was seen rolling her eyes at a G7 summit in Alberta, Canada, while sat speaking with the French president in June. Ms Meloni was seen gazing deeply into Mr Musk's eyes in 2024, before the world's richest man claimed she was 'even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside'. And in May, Albania 's prime minister Edi Rama theatrically dropped to his knee as he welcomed Ms Meloni to Tirana on a red carpet for an EU summit. She admitted to being a 'introverted' child who wore a 'sullen expression' - something she said has followed her into adulthood. 'To anyone who mocks my brazen and grumpy demeanour, I can show them a pre-school photo where I look exactly the same,' she said.
