Cardinal Brady to invite Pope Francis to visit Ireland

It has been reported that the Primate of All-Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Sean Brady is to extend a message of invitation to the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis I.

The first conclave the Cardinal Brady had taken part in, having received his red hat from Benedict XVI in 2007, he was present at the elevation of Jorge Bergoglio, later telling collected media in Rome that the whole experience was a “very profound and moving” one.

“It’s hard to get one’s head around it, it’s been all so intense,” he told journalists, recounting that as the votes were being counted, “suddenly the magic number was reached and there was applause”.

“Showing the kind of person he is, his first action was to go to a cardinal who was in a wheelchair at the back of the chapel, and to greet him. I think it was amazingly touching,” he added.

Cardinal was among the cardinals, bishops and priests who had the honour to concelebrate Mass with Pope Francis as he began his Petrine Ministry as the Bishop of Rome on Tuesdya last, and though he admitted to media he did not know the new Pope “very well”, he said it was his intention to invite Pope Francis to visit Ireland. If accepted, it could be one of the Laragh-native’s last actions in the role prior to his planned replacement by Monsignor Eamon Martin as Primate of All-Ireland next year. While the election of Pope was good news in Rome and his Cardinal Bergoglio’s native Argentina, the effect his appointment had was felt worldwide as Bishop of the Diocese of Kilmore, Bishop Leo O’Reilly will attest to.

The election of Pope Francis last Wednesday last “was a lovely Spring surprise” Bishop Leo said in a statement last week.

“It came sooner than generally expected and, as has often happened in the past, the Cardinal chosen to lead the Church as Pope was not one of the many whose names were frequently mentioned as likely to be elected.”

He warmly welcomed the election of Pope Francis as the successor the Pope Benedict XVI and as the first Pope of what is considered by the Catholic Church as being the New World.

“The choice of a Pope from Argentina is a timely reminder to us here in Europe of the universality of the Church. South America has almost half the world’s Catholics so it is fitting that the leadership of the Church should reflect that in its choice of a successor to St Peter,” said Bishop O’Reilly.

He also hit out at commentators have who have attempted to categorise Pope Francis in terms of liberal or conservative, saying “neither category does justice to the complexity and depth of the man.

“He is a scholar, but speaks the language of ordinary people. His first words to the people gathered in St Peter’s Square after his election were refreshingly informal: ‘brothers and sisters, good evening’. He is thoughtful and prayerful, but is known has someone who gets things done.

“If anything, Pope Francis is a radical. He is radical, not in the sense of anarchic, but in the sense of one who goes to the roots of things. His words to the Cardinals in his first homily suggest as much.”

Bishop Reilly concluded by saying: “I ask you all to pray for Pope Francis as he takes on the enormous task of leading the Church in these difficult times. On behalf of all of us in the diocese of Kilmore I wish him health and strength and all God’s graces and blessings to carry out his ministry as Bishop of Rome and leader of the Universal Church.”