Pope Francis: Irish church and state leaders travel for funeral (2025)

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland and Irish President Michael D Higgins are among those arriving in Rome on Friday ahead of the Pope's funeral.

Fifty heads of state and 10 sovereigns, including Donald Trump and Prince William, have confirmed their attendance at the ceremony on Saturday.

It has also been confirmed that Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill will attend after she cut short a family holiday.

Having visited St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, President Higgins said Pope Francis's work on peace and sustainability must be remembered.

The Irish president said he was "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".

He credited the Pope as someone who "led by example in embracing so many of the most important issues facing humanity".

"He was a strong advocate for the fulfilling of obligations in relation to Mother Nature," he said.

"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."

Archbishop Eamon Martin, the Catholic Primate of All-Ireland, said he had a "great sense of the universality of the church" upon arriving in the Vatican ahead of the funeral.

Speaking to BBC News NI from St Peter's Square, he said: "We're here amongst people from every continent, many, many countries of the world, and they're all in solidarity, they're all together, they feel they're all part of the family.

"It's interesting that Pope Francis kept talking about going out to the peripheries - what we have here is the peripheries coming to Pope Francis."

Archbishop Martin said it was also significant that the ceremony would be a state funeral.

"The number of world leaders who are here, I think that really means a lot… to be present at a Catholic funeral rites, to hear those prayers in the week of Easter.

"Hopefully it will let everybody realise that the Church and the public square, we can be together on so many matters and we can also challenge and learn from each other."

Dermot Farrell, the Archbishop of Dublin, said that visiting St Peter's Basilica to see the body of Pope Francis "was a moment of sadness but also an opportunity to pray".

He said he was thankful for what Pope Francis had brought to the church.

"He had fabulous gifts and he always preached the gospel with joy on his face," said the archbishop.

In Rome, people are expected to camp on the street in front of St Peter's Basilica on Friday night ahead of the funeral.

• Live updates: Thousands queue to see Pope Francis lying in state

Pope Francis had requested that his body be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is a few miles outside the Vatican walls.

The Vatican press office has said that a group of "poor and needy" would be on the steps to pay their respects.

Monsignor Enda Murphy, who is originally from County Fermanagh and has been living and working in Rome for a decade, told the BBC News NI that he paid his respects to the Pope for the second time on Friday morning.

He said the funeral would be "a historic moment" but would also be just "like going to pray like we always do at any funeral".

Crispino and Maria Carmo travelled from Dungannon, County Tyrone, to pay their respects.

Having been married in the Vatican in 2024, Crispino said they received a blessing from the Pope.

He said Pope Francis was "a good father not only for us but for all people".

"We feel a real loss because we lost such a great person in Pope Francis," he added.

Maria added that the news of the Pope's death had left her with "a broken heart".

• THE POPE IN IRELAND: Francis and 'the green country'
• REACTION: NI and Irish leaders' 'profound sadness'
• EXPLAINER: What happens next?
• IN PICTURES: Pope Francis's life

Rev Prof Eamonn Conway, a theologian who was appointed by Pope Francis to the World Synod of Bishops, was in the queue on Friday morning to pay his final respects at St Peter's Basilica.

"I am actually quite emotional about it," he told BBC Radio Foyle.

"I believe he realised a sense of completion in his work and frankly, I suppose, I think he knew it was his time to let go."

Rev Prof Conway said that whoever takes on the role would need to continue the work of Pope Francis with "serious reform at the Vatican".

Father Brian D'Arcy said his life as a priest changed under Pope Francis.

He spoke of how the previous regime was "hounding out" those who disagreed with the way the Church was handling many things, including the sexual abuse of children.

"There were a number of priests who were silenced in one way or another, or threatened with excommunication, as I was," he said.

"It was becoming rather difficult to keep on being the priest who I wanted to be."

But "within three months of Francis being Pope, he was saying the same things I was".

In Belfast, outside Clonard Monastery after a special prayer service, one churchgoer said the Pope's funeral would be "a beautiful day".

"The Pope is brought to his rest and his glory with almighty God, he was a good man and a good leader," said Anne.

"I'll remember the Pope from speaking out about [the war in] Gaza - he had the courage to say it was what it was.

"I think he will always be remembered for that."

Another man outside the monastery in west Belfast described Pope Francis as "a wonderful, wonderful man".

"The world would be a better place with more people like him in it," he added.

The late pontiff's funeral is due to begin at 09:00 BST (10:00 local time) on Saturday when his coffin is laid in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday after weeks of ill health.

The Vatican said he died following a stroke, less than 24 hours after appearing in a wheelchair at St Peter's Square to lead an Easter address in front of thousands of worshippers.