Pope’s visit ‘will not clash’ with potential abortion vote

The visit of Pope Francis to Ireland in 2018 will not clash with any possible referendum on abortion, Government figures have said.

The pope will arrive in August 2018 to attend the Vatican’s World Meeting of the Family in Dublin.

“Referendums are never held in August as it is during the summer recess. Therefore, there is no possibility of his visit clashing with a referendum,” the senior official said.

Asked in the Vatican if the visit might come at an inopportune time because it could clash with a referendum, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he had discussed the issue in detail with the pope, informing him of the modus operandi of the Citizens’ Assembly, which will make a recommendation on the matter.

“We have to wait and see what proposals the Citizens’ Assembly will make . . . if the Dáil then rules that a vote is warranted. Mind you, in a general sense, you would not hold any referendum in the month of August in Ireland,” he said.

The Government also confirmed the logistics, security and protocol requirements for the visit would be of a similar order to the recent visits of US president Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth.

Divided views

Depending on the length of the pontiff’s visit, that would require a security budget of some €20 million.

There were divided views among senior Government Ministers about the timing of the papal visit.

Minister for Tourism Shane Ross noted that it might come in advance of a possible referendum on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees to protect the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn.

While saying it was “wonderful” the pontiff was visiting Ireland, Mr Ross said: “I simply think that maybe there are better times to come than in the middle of a controversial political matter in which he might get embroiled.”

The Government has already said the referendum will not be held until 2018 at the earliest, even though there is a possibility it could happen earlier that year.

However, Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar said the visit and a possible referendum were separate issues, and could not be conflated.

“When it comes to any decision on a referendum on the Eighth Amendment, I think that’s a totally separate issue and shouldn’t affect the timing in any way.”

Predicted

He said that people would be able to debate the abortion laws without reference to the pope’s visit as they were separate events.

Mr Varadkar predicted that hundreds of thousands, and perhaps millions, of people, would attend the events even thought the circumstances in Ireland now were very different to 1979, when Pope John Paul the Second visited.

Archbishop Dr Eamon Martin of Armagh said he hoped the visit would be characterised by welcome and generosity of spirit.

Archbishop Dr Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said the visit would be “an important gift from Pope Francis to the Irish Church and the church globally”.

His spokeswoman added that he welcomed the fact that the Taoiseach reiterated the Government’s commitment to providing all appropriate arrangements.