The deputy mayor of Galway wants former bishop Éamonn Casey invited back to the city next weekend to attend a jubilee Mass to mark the 25th anniversary of the Pope's visit.
Cllr Pádraig Conneely said Dr Casey should be invited to next Sunday's event, given that he was the primary organiser of the Mass attended by 250,000 young people in September 1979.
The Mass next Sunday, also on Galway Racecourse, is set to attract several thousand people but Mr Conneely said it was wrong that Dr Casey had not been invited.
He went on: "The success of that event 25 years ago was largely down to bishop Casey. He was the main organiser and on the day was the central figure in making it such a success.
"A lot has happened since then which I don't wish to dwell upon, but it is time to put the past behind us and move on. This would be one way of doing that and I believe he should be there next Sunday, or at the very least the Catholic Church should invite him."
Dr Casey, who is 75, left Ireland more than a decade ago when it was revealed that he had a love-child after an affair with American Annie Murphy.
His son, Peter Éamon, was born in Dublin on July 31st, 1974. On reaching 18, he demanded that his father acknowledge him and fund his education.
Since then the former bishop has lived in exile, initially in Ecuador and more recently in Britain.
He currently lives in the small coastal village of Staplefield near Brighton, where he works in a large parish and is chaplain to a local hospital.
Two years ago he attended a golden jubilee reunion of the Maynooth class of 1951.
Dr Casey has not attended a public function in Galway since he left, although he has been back for a number of private visits.
His hopes of being allowed back to Ireland suffered another big setback this year when he was convicted of drunk driving in Britain.
He appeared before Mid-Sussex Magistrates in April after being caught with excess alcohol in his blood and was banned for 12 months.
It was his second conviction for drunk driving, having been convicted in the early 1980s in London while bishop of Galway.