Pope accepts 'in principle' Irish invitation, but no dates set

Published: 2004-07-19

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- While Pope John Paul II has accepted "in principle" an invitation to visit Ireland, the Vatican said the acceptance does not mean a papal trip there is a sure thing. A Vatican official told Catholic News Service July 19 that "the Holy Father accepts all invitations 'in principle,' but no dates have been set" and a variety of factors, including the 84-year-old pope's health, must be considered. The pope received the invitation from Archbishops Diarmuid Martin of Dublin and Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, in June. "Our invitation request has been placed before the Holy Father and a reply has been received from the Vatican's Secretariat of State indicating that the proposed visit has, in principle, been accepted," Archbishop Brady said in a July 16 statement. The invitation was offered with the hope that the pope would arrive by Sept. 29, the 25th anniversary of the pope's first trip to Ireland. However, Archbishop Brady said that a visit during 2004 was unlikely because of the pope's commitments for the remainder of the year.

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