The Catholic primate Cardinal Sean Brady has
said the Irish bishops plan to invite Pope Francis to Ireland “when an
appropriate occasion occurs.”
He also said that at the conclusion of supper
with cardinal electors in St Peter’s last night the new pope turned to
his former colleagues as he was leaving and said “may God forgive you .”
Cardinal Brady was speaking at a post conclave press conference in Rome’s Irish College this afternoon.
He was asked whether he would be inviting the
new Pope to Ireland and replied “I didn’t get round to asking him
yesterday evening but we will be inviting him to Ireland, I’m sure of
that, when an appropriate occasion occurs.”
Cardinal Brady noted how one of the links
between Ireland and Argentina was Admiral Wiliam Browne “the founder of
the Argentinian navy. He’s a Co Mayo man, from Foxford in Co Mayo.”
For his own part Cardinal Brady didn’t know
Pope Francis very well, he said, but noted “his simple style of life,
his emphasis on the poor and his witness to heroic practical love...”
He said “the papacy has crossed the Atlantic to
the New World for the first time”, with the name Pope Francis “being a
statement in itself.”
It was a reference to the patron saint of Italy
Francis of Assisi, who was committed to the poor and church reform and
the great Jesuit saint Francis Xavier who set about bringing the faith
to the East.
Cardinal Brady recalled how yesterday it as
“very moving as the votes were called ‘Bergoglio, Bergoglio, Bergoglio,
until the magic number was reached and there was applause.”
When Francis accepted all the cardinal electors
went to the Pauline chapel to pray. “Then his first action was to go to
a cardinal who is in a wheelchair. It was very touching.”
He recalled how it was said during the meetings
of cardinals before the conclave that what required in a new pope was
“a man who can not only enlighten the mind but also set hearts on fire
by his witness to practical Christian love, especially love for the
poor.”
Cardinal Brady continued “....and thanks be to God I think that is what we have received. I’m quite confident of that.”