FAQs for Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland

 

• • Why is Pope Francis coming to Ireland?
  • The primary reason for Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland is to attend and participate in the World Meeting of Families 2018. This large international gathering of families in the world is brought together by the Church every three years and will be hosted in Dublin, Ireland, in 2018.

• What events of the World Meeting of Families will Pope Francis be participating in?  

 

• • Click here for the latest details on Pope Francis’ itinerary.
  • Pope Francis will attend the Festival of Families on 25^th August and he will also celebrate the Final Mass of WMOF2018 on 26^th August. Other details of his itinerary have yet to be confirmed.

• How long will Pope Francis stay in Ireland? 

 

• • The Holy Father is coming to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families 2018 which takes place between 21-26 August 2018. His visit will be from 25-26 August. Visit Pope Francis’ Itinerary Section for more information.

• What other public engagements will Pope Francis have while in Ireland? 

 

• • The primary reason for Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland is to attend and participate in events of World Meeting of Families 2018, specifically the Festival of Families on 25^th August and the Final Mass on 26^th of August. Pope Francis will have other public engagements during his trip and we will be including these on our Itinerary section once details are confirmed.

• How can I get to see Pope Francis?  

 

• Places are subject to availability. Click here to access ticket information for WMOF2018 events.
• The two World Meeting of Families 2018 events for which Pope Francis has confirmed attendance are the Festival of Families on 25^th August and the Final Mass on Sunday 26^th August. Both of these events are free but ticketed – every adult and child in attendance will need a ticket to access the venues.
• Visit our Itinerary section for most updated information on Pope Francis itinerary and confirmed events where Pope Francis will be present.

 

• Will there be a fee to see Pope Francis?  

 

• • Click here to access ticket information for WMOF2018 events.
  • All events where Pope Francis will be present will be free of charge but will require a ticket. Some events will be open to all, subject to the capacity of the venues, others will be private and will not be open to the general public.
  • Will Pope Francis be attending the three-day Pastoral Congress?  
  • Pope Francis is not expected to attend the Pastoral Congress.

• Where will Pope Francis be staying? 

 

• • This has yet to be confirmed.

• Will Pope Francis meet with the Taoiseach/President Higgins?

 

• Although Pope Francis visit to Ireland is not formally a State visit, it is protocol that the Pontiff would meet with government and state representatives while attending an event in a country. Detailed plans for Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland have not yet been finalised. Visit our Itinerary Section for most up to date information on Pope Francis’s schedule.

 

• How will the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland be funded?

 

• The cost of hosting such a significant global event is, by its very nature, substantial. The event is being funded through a combination of Church collections (four over the course of the three years leading up to WMOF2018), national and international fundraising, sponsorship, exhibition sales, tickets for the three-day Congress at the RDS, contributions from participants and donations. We are very grateful for all the support that we have received to date. Should you wish to help us with a donation, please click here.

 

• How is the Government involved in Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland?  An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar has welcomed the announcement by Pope Francis of his plans to visit Ireland from 25-26 August for the World Meeting of Families.

  In response to the official confirmation of the visit he said, “On behalf of the Government I welcome the announcement by Pope Francis of his intention to come to Ireland in August for the World Meeting of Families. I look forward to meeting him during his visit. While it is not a formal State Visit, it will be a major event for Ireland, with a high degree of public participation and a high international profile”. Further details of the involvement of the Irish Government in the visit by Pope Francis can be obtained from the Government Press Office.

 

Additional FAQs

Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions section to access FAQs on other topics and aspects of WMOF2018.