President of Ireland pays respects to Pope Francis in the Vatican

President of Ireland Michael D Higgins paid his respects to Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican today, Friday, April 25.

The President was joined by his wife, Sabina Higgins.

Pope Francis, who met with President Higgins several times during his life, died on Monday at the age of 88.

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On Saturday, the President and Sabina will return to St Peter's Square, where they will join with Heads of State and Heads of Government and their delegations from around the world in attending the funeral of Pope Francis.

Following the funeral, the President will visit the Pontifical Irish College, where he will meet with the Rector, Fr Paul Finnerty, the Vice Rector, Fr Emmanuel Obi, and members of the wider community at the College.

In a statement on Friday, the President said he is "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, who I was honoured to meet with on five occasions."

Higgins continued: "The world was struck by the generosity given by Pope Francis, right until the very last moments of his life, in terms of seeking to embrace, as he put it, all of humanity.

"Through his life and his work, Pope Francis led by example in embracing so many of the most important issues facing humanity.

"In particular, he was a strong advocate for the fulfilling of obligations in relation to Mother Nature and the indigenous peoples who are paying the highest price for the consequences of climate change, he was a strong spokesperson for how global poverty could be eliminated, and he gave leadership in relation to the rights of migrants.

"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."

In September 2021, Pope Francis described President Higgins as a "wise man of today" and said that Ireland was fortunate to have such a wise leader as its head of state. 

Pope Francis has been lying in state in St. Peter's Basilica since Wednesday. The President of Ireland and his wife were among more than 150,000 people who had paid their respects to the late Pope Francis as of noon on Friday.

The Vatican Basilica is set to close at 7 pm this evening, though entry to the queue will end at 6 pm, Vatican News reported today.

At 8 pm, Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, a native of Dublin, will preside at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin.

The funeral Mass for Pope Francis is due to begin at 10 am on Saturday.