Flags will be flown at half-mast over public buildings on Saturday to mark the funeral of Pope Francis, the Government has confirmed.
With preparations under way in the Vatican for the first funeral of a serving pontiff for 20 years, Ireland is to be represented at the event by President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Higgins, as well as both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris.
An incorporeal Cabinet meeting is expected to be held this week as, under the Constitution, a President is not permitted to leave the State during their term of office, except with the consent of the Government.
The degree of commemoration and memorialisation by the Government and the State appears to fall somewhat short of the last funeral of a sitting pope, that of John Paul II in 2005.
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Then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern initially signalled that there would be no official period of mourning, but following public pressure, he said the Government would observe such a period.
Pope John Paul II’s funeral was held on a Friday, and schools were given the option of closing, while civil and public service employees were to be facilitated where possible to have some time off to attend services. Private companies were asked to make similar arrangements for their workers.
The Government did not respond to a query on whether similar arrangements would be put in place or sought for those working this Saturday.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, who welcomed the decision to fly flags at half-mast over public buildings, said there should be an official period of mourning, pointing to steps taken in Spain, Cuba and India in the wake of Pope Francis’s death.
“We are a pluralist republic and that’s a good thing, but the vast majority of Irish people identify as Catholic,” he said.
However, other parties of the Opposition disagreed. Labour TD Duncan Smith said it was appropriate for the President or head of government to attend the funeral and for the State to be represented at any celebration of the pope’s life organised by the Catholic Church in Ireland. “We don’t believe there should be an official State day (or) period of mourning,” Mr Smith said.
A spokesman for People Before Profit said the party has sympathy and respect for those mourning and marking the death of the pope.
“However, People Before Profit advocate for a secular society with complete separation of church and State. National mourning (or) State measures would undermine separation of church and State and would therefore not be something we advocate for,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Social Democrats said Catholics were mourning a man who led their church “with humility and compassion”.
She added: “Given the significance of the event, it is appropriate that the President, Taoiseach and Tánaiste represent the country and the funeral on Saturday.”
Sinn Féin did not respond to queries on whether there should be an official period of mourning, nor on whether its leader Mary Lou McDonald would attend the funeral in Rome on Saturday if invited.
The then-leader of the opposition, Fine Gael’s Enda Kenny, attended the funeral of John Paul II in 2005.
A Government spokeswoman confirmed that the Department of the Taoiseach had requested that the national flag be flown at half-mast on Monday, the day of Pope Francis’s death.
“A similar request will be made for Saturday, 26th April 2025, for the funeral of the late Pope Francis,” she said.
