‘Great privilege’ for priest to attend Pope Francis’ funeral

‘Great privilege’ for priest to attend Pope Francis’ funeral

30 April 2025

THE parish priest for Dunsford and Ardglass was among the 250,000 mourners who gathered in St Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.

Fr Gerry McCloskey made an unexpected journey to Rome, arriving just hours before the Pontiff’s funeral. 

He had been on another pilgrimage in Medjugorje, in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, and intended to stay there an extra day before flying to Rome for the canonisation of Blessed Carlos Acutis, a young Italian saint who has won the hearts of many of his parishioners.

Fr McCloskey said he was blessed to be able to bring his flight forward by a day.

“It was a great privilege to be there,” he said. “I just always loved what Pope Francis was doing in the church. I think he really tenderised the church.

“He started a revolution of tenderness to be more compassionate towards people, especially the poor and the marginalised.

“His papacy and the way he represented it was so refreshing and so much needed in the world today, where there is a great lack of love. He revolutionised the papacy with love and mercy.

“It was a great privilege to be part of it and to be thanking God for his life as well as praying for his soul.

“It was just an amazing experience for me. I didn’t really expect to be there and would not have gone but for the fact I was due to be there 24 hours later.”

In order to pay his respects Fr McCloskey was up at 5am on Saturday and was in his place at the mass for 7.30am.

He estimated there were more than 500 priests in attendance and he even managed to spot a friend from Ireland, a woman called Joan, from Knock in Co Mayo, who had travelled in a wheelchair with her son.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. 

Fr McCloskey said the atmosphere was a mixture of joy and sadness.

“Sadness that he has gone but great joy that he has gone to his eternal reward. It was just a very beautiful positive atmosphere – hard to describe.”

Fr McCloskey said he was heartened to see so many young people at the requiem mass who had also been expecting to attend the canonisation of Blessed Carlos. Pope Francis was due to preside at the canonisation.

“I think Carlos wanted us to forget about him and focus on the thanksgiving and legacy of Pope Francis,” he remarked.

Asked what his hopes were for the next Pontiff, Fr McCloskey said: “I want somebody who will continue on where Francis left off with his revolution of love and mercy within the church.

“We need that and he was a pope of peace. He didn’t really touch doctrine at all but he really challenged our approach to people and how we should really be merciful and listening to them with ears of mercy.

“We need a pope who will, like Francis, walk with people, listen to them, show them compassion, yet at the same time not be afraid, should the occasion arise, to speak the truth with love.”

“We are now praying in thanksgiving that he set the church on a marvellous course.