SW News: Members of the Irish episcopate offered prayers of thanksgiving for Pope Francis who will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of his pontificate on March 13. The bishops gathered at St Patrick’s College in Maynooth for the Spring 2023 General Meeting on March 8.

They gathered under the auspices of Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, the president of the Conference, and Vice-President Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin.

While offering prayers for the pope and his intentions, they also recollected his pilgrimage to the World Meeting of Families in Ireland in August 2018. They also reminisced about the cordial welcome accorded to them by the Holy Father in Rome and the conversation with him during their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit in January 2017.

The Irish prelates noted that the writings of Pope Francis, namely Evagelli Gaudium, his exhortation to preach the Gospel across the word, his encyclical on nature Laudato Si and the apostolic exhortation on the family Amoris Laetitia have all been bestsellers in the country.

Offering prayers for peace in the country, the bishops expressed gratitude to all who jointly took part in the creation of the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement of April 1998. The prelates also thanked everyone who implemented it in its right spirit. They exhorted leaders of Northern Ireland to work unitedly in the interest of the common good.

Among the other topics that came up for discussion was the empowerment of priests, religious and laity to help them deeply explore the Synodal Pathway of the Irish Church. Diocesan Delegates and representatives from the organizations, movements and associations that took part in the diocesan phase of the Synod and submitted a thesis are being invited to fill in an online questionnaire to identify the needs. The National Steering Committee will provide the bishops’ conference with a report in the coming months regarding how the Irish Synodal Pathway will be a long term process.