Omagh man’s privileged view on the impact of Pope Francis

STRATHROY-born Catholic commentator, Michael Kelly, says it is a ‘great privilege’ for him to be involved in what will be the third funeral of a Pope he has covered during the past 20 years.

Mr Kelly, who was editor of the Irish Catholic and is now Director of Public Affairs with Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland, met Pope Francis on a number of occasions during the 12 year pontificate of the 88 year-old, who died early on Monday morning.

Just a year ago, Mr Kelly also travelled to the homeland of Pope Francis in Argentina. While in Buenos Aires, he received a unique insight into the life-affirming experiences which shaped the Papacy of the first Pope from the Americas.

“This time last year I was in Buenos Aires after being invited to visit Mission projects. It was an opportunity to visit some of the poor parishes in the slums. That was a very uplifting and eye-opening experience,” he said.

“In Buenos Aires the wealthy are very much side-by-side with the poverty. The views from the penthouses are of the slums. We have for sure poverty in Ireland, but not the grinding poverty that you see in Buenos Aires and the difficulties which people have in making ends meet.

“What was fascinating for me was that everyone had a story about Pope Francis, or an experience of him. He used to leave each summer from the little apartment where he lived and go to work in a parish in the slums. To hear these stories about him visiting the sick, marrying couples and how he was helped in so many different ways.

“People felt very close to him. It really struck me in terms of his humility, his love of the poor and his embrace of poverty was who he was. There was no attempt to make a huge statement. That was the background from where he was from and it was the reason why he was so comfortable with the poor and vulnerable gravitated towards them everywhere he went.

“For him visiting a prison or spending time with people who were poor was the most natural thing in the world.”

Mr Kelly previously covered the funerals of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. He met Pope Francis on a number of occasions during his pontificate and has precious memories of the words that they exchanged.

“The absolute warmth of humility and warmth of Pope Francis is something which really resonated with people,” he added.

“He really held you intently when he listened to you. He listened a lot more than he talked.

“For me personally, I feel great gratitude for the service of Pope Francis.

Mr Kelly placed the rosary beads given to him by Pope Francis in the hands of his late brother, Damien, when he was laid to rest.

He says that ‘for a simple lad from Strathroy’ to be at the forefront portraying such historic events in Rome over the coming days and weeks is an honour and privilege.

“For the third time in my life I’ll be involved in a papal transition,” he added.

“There is great gratitude for the life well lived of Pope Francis and for the fact that he was able to die very much with ‘his boots on.’ To be able to spend Easter Sunday touring St Peter’s Square, blessing babies, and newly married couples and greeting the elderly and then to go home and die a few hours later was so amazing.

“This is a huge thing for 1.4 billion Catholics around the world. These are epoch-shaping moments in church history and it is wonderful to be part of that. Pope Francis has left a great legacy, and yet this has been happening for 2000 years. In time, a new Pope will be elected and he will have something different to say to the church than Pope Francis.”