First Minister Michelle O’Neill will travel to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday.
She will join political leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin and Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney at the ceremony.
O’Neill had cut short a family holiday so that plans could be made to attend the funeral.
The Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has confirmed she will not be attending.
Paying tribute after his death on Monday, O’Neill said Pope Francis’s efforts to “reach out and acknowledge past wrongs should be recognised”.
The Sinn Fein vice-president also recalled his visit to Ireland in 2018 where “he spoke passionately in support of the peace process”.
Other assembly members (MLAs) at Stormont will pay tribute to Pope Francis at the assembly next week once it returns from Easter break.
O’Neill is expected to travel to Rome later on Friday.
Also attending the funeral will be Archbishop Eamon Martin, Catholic Primate of All Ireland.
