Queen meeting Pope in NI '˜feasible'
A former Vatican official who dismissed predictions of a 'joint visit' between the Queen and Pope to Northern Ireland has said, however, that a meeting of the pair in the Province might still be 'feasible'.
Michael Kelly is Editor of the Irish Catholic and was an official at the Vatican from 2000-2005.
He initially said of forecasts of a joint visit: “It’s not going to happen” adding that it would “overly politicise” the Pope’s role.
However, reflecting further, he told the News Letter that while a joint visit was highly unlikely, a meeting was “feasible”.
“Oh, it’s certainly feasible and not impossible that the two could meet in Northern Ireland,” he said.
However the Vatican would carefully weigh up how Catholics would interpret such an event, he said. Plus, although he believes a papal visit to Northern Ireland is “very likely” in 2018, he has not heard any significant Catholic figures talking about one.
The Queen, who is now 91, recently took a step back from frontline duties in asking Prince Charles to lay a wreath for her on Remembrance Sunday.
Neither the UK government, Catholic Church nor the Queen’s press office have given any credence to predictions for a meeting.