Following the passing of Pope Francis, Laois TD Sean Fleming has penned a personal piece about meeting the late pontiff a few months ago.
Like millions of people around the world, I was deeply saddened to hear that His Holiness Pope Francis passed away.
I was very privileged that my wife Mary and I had a private audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Friday December 6, 2024.
My abiding memory is that he was a kind, gentle, friendly and holy person and it was almost like speaking to an elderly parent.
I presented him with a St. Brigid’s Cross and told him the story of St. Brigid and that Ireland has recently made her feast day a public bank holiday.
There were two photographs on his desk who were part of his extended family and we had a lovely chat about both our families.
The Pope being from Argentina and I having two brothers married to two Brazilians, we had a good chat about South America and you can be sure soccer between the two Countries was discussed.
He personally handed two rosary beads to myself and Mary and a special coin with his personal papal crest.
He spoke strongly about the wars in the World and he was very disappointed that Europe was not playing a greater part in protecting innocent civilians around the world and especially in Gaza.
The only other person in the room was an interpreter but as we all know the Pope had very good English. The private audience lasted half an hour.
On Saturday December 7, we again met Pope Francis in person. In my role then as Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs I was representing Ireland at a Consistory in St. Peter’s Basilica where 21 new Cardinals were being appointed.
Before the ceremony commenced my wife and I and representatives from three other Countries were brought into a private room and Pope Francis came in to meet us.
Each of us in the room were presented with rosary beads and he spoke to us individually.
He recognised us from our private audience the previous day and he said “The Irish. I remember when I was in New York the Irish Whiskey was famous”.
My wife and I signed the Book of Condolences for His Holiness Pope Francis in the Holy See Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin this afternoon.
May he Rest in Peace and I pray he is beside God in Heaven.
