Catherine Morrison & Jake Wood
BBC News NI
PA Media
Michael D Higgins visited St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis
The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland and Irish President Michael D Higgins are among those arriving in Rome on Friday ahead of the Pope’s funeral.
Fifty heads of state and 10 sovereigns have confirmed their attendance at the funeral, including Donald Trump and Prince William.
It has also been confirmed that Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill will attend after she cut short a family holiday.
Having visited St Peter’s Basilica, in a statement President Higgins said Pope Francis’s work on peace and sustainability must be remembered.
Reuters
Pope Francis is lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican ahead of his funeral on Saturday
The Irish president said he was “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”.
He credited the Pope as someone that “led by example in embracing so many of the most important issues facing humanity”.
“He was a strong advocate for the fulfilling of obligations in relation to Mother Nature,” he said.
“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 Rome, people are expected to begin camping out on Friday night in the street in front of St Peter’s Basilica ahead of the funeral.
Italian prison administrators announced on Thursday that some prisoners may be granted permission to attend the service.
After the funeral at St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis requested that his body be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is outside the Vatican walls, a few miles away.
The Vatican Press Office has said a group of “poor and needy” will be on the steps to pay their respects.
Enda Murphy, originally from Fermanagh has worked and lived in Rome for ten years
Monsignor Enda Murphy, who is originally from County Fermanagh and has been living and working in Rome for a decade, told Good Morning Ulster he paid his respects to the Pope for the second time on Friday morning.
He said the funeral will be “a historic moment”, but will also be just “like going to pray like we always do at any funeral”.
“Just praying for the repose of the soul of another Christian and one of our fellow believers.”
Crispino and Maria Carmo say the Pope blessed them during their marriage in 2024
Crispino and Maria Carmo travelled from Dungannon, County Tyrone, to pay their respects.
Having been married in the Vatican in 2024, Crispino said they received a blessing from the Pope.
He said Pope Francis was “a good father, not only for us, but for all people, he was loving. We feel a real loss because we lost such a great person in Pope Francis”.
Maria added that the news of the Pope’s death had left her with “a broken heart”. =
Rev Prof Eamonn Conway, a theologian who was appointed by Pope Francis to the World Synod of Bishops, was in the queue on Friday morning at St Peter’s Basilica to pay his final respects.
“I am actually quite emotional about it,” he told BBC Radio Foyle.
“I believe he realised a sense of completion in his work and frankly, I suppose, I think he knew it was his time to let go.”
Rev Prof Conway said whoever takes on the role will need to continue the work of Pope Francis with “serious reform at the Vatican”.
Father Brian D’Arcy said his life as a priest changed under Pope Francis.
He spoke of how the previous regime was “hounding out” those who disagreed with the way the church was handling many things including the sexual abuse of children.
“There were a number of priests who were silenced in one way or another, or threatened with excommunication, as I was,” he said.
“It was becoming rather difficult to keep on being the priest who I wanted to be.”
But “within three months of Francis being Pope, he was saying the same things I was”.
From St Peter’s: Crowds wait for final chance
EPA
Thousands have been queuing to pay their respects to Pope Francis
It’s the busiest morning yet at St Peter’s Square as crowds arrive early to wait in line to see the Pope’s body.
It will be their final chance to do so today as the coffin will be sealed at 19:00 ahead of the funeral.
Security is noticeably tighter here this morning – we’ve seen police and personnel from every part of Italy.
Some are holding huge anti-drone guns, and all media are being asked if they have drones in their bags as they enter St Peter’s Square.
Reuters
Thousands came to see the Pope as his body was transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning
In Belfast, outside Clonard Monastery after a special prayer service, one churchgoer said the Pope’s funeral will be “a beautiful day”.
“The Pope is brought to his rest and his glory with almighty god, he was a good man and a good leader,” said Anne.
“I’ll remember the Pope from speaking out about Gaza, he had the courage to say it was what it was.
“I think he will always be remembered for that,” she said.
Another man outside the monastery in west Belfast described Pope Francis as “a wonderful, wonderful man”.
“The world would be a better place with more people like him in it,” he added.
Anne spoke to BBC News NI outside Clondard Monastery in west Belfast
When is Pope Francis’s funeral?
The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis, who was elected in 2013, died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, following weeks of ill health.
He was the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican said he died following a stroke, less than 24 hours after appearing in a wheelchair at St Peter’s Square to lead an Easter address in front of thousands of worshipers.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners, as well as world leaders, are expected to attend the late pontiff’s funeral in front of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday.
It is set to begin at 09:00 BST (10:00 local time).
Irish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina will travel to the Vatican for the funeral, as well as Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin and Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris.
Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has confirmed she will not be attending.
