The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Dr O’Reilly is to offer a special Requiem Mass for Pope Francis in the Cathedral of the Assumption Thurles on Friday at 11am and all are welcome to attend. A Book of Condolences will be open tomorrow, Thursday at 12.30pm for signing until Saturday 26th of April at 12 noon.
The late Pope Francis is now lying in repose in St Peter’s basilica as thousands of mourners file past his open coffin. The Pope’s body will lie in state in St Peter’s Basilica until Friday evening, allowing the faithful to pay their respects.
Dublin born Cardinal Kevin Farrell leads the church until a new Pope is elected next month. Today Cardinal Farrell led the ceremony as the Pope’s remains were transferred from his private Chapel through St Peter’s Square to the Basilica.
The authorities in Rome and in the Vatican City which is an independent state are preparing for the Funeral which will feature many political leaders from around the world in a high security operation. Ireland will be represented at the funeral by
President Michael D Higgins and Mrs Sabina Higgins, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris. Fr Michael Toomey, Parish Priest of Ardfinnan, Newcastle and Four Mile Water parishes today confirmed that he will be one of the priests concelebrating the Mass in Rome on Saturday. Fr Toomey was to be in Rome with a group of young people from the Ardfinnan area for this weekend’s planned Canonisation of Carlo Acutis – this has now been postponed until a later date due to the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
