Books of condolence open in Northern Ireland after Pope Francis’s death | UK News

Books of condolence are being opened across Northern Ireland following the death of Pope Francis.

Members of the public will be able to sign Belfast’s book of condolence at the city hall from 12:30 BST on Wednesday.

A special council meeting for members to pay tribute to the pontiff and reflect on his legacy will take place in Belfast on Thursday.

In Londonderry, the public can leave a written message at Derry’s Guildhall and The Alley Theatre in Strabane.

An online book of condolence is also be available at www.belfastcity.gov.uk and www.derrystrabane.com

In Belfast, Lord Mayor Micky Murray will officially open the book while Fr Tim Bartlett, the main organiser of the late Pope’s visit to Ireland in 2018, will be in attendance.

City Hall will also be lit up in the papal colours of yellow and white on Saturday to coincide with the day of his funeral.

In a statement, the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Lilian Seenoi-Barr she offered “deepest sympathies” to Archbishop Eamon Martin, the clergy, and all members of the Catholic Church.

She said that there has been a “huge outpouring of sorrow and grief” across Derry and Strabane since Pope Francis’ passing on Monday.

“The compassion, humility and bravery he exhibited during his papacy had an impact on the lives of so many people locally and I want to give the public an outlet to record their feelings and sympathy”, she added.

It was a bright, cool morning in Rome as the city woke to its first full day without Pope Francis.

Pilgrims gathered last night in St Peter’s Square for a special rosary – fitting for the Pope who ended each public speech asking people to pray for him. They’re expected to return in even greater numbers today.

Meanwhile, normal life continues as people have their morning coffee and go to work. The city does not close down for the nine official days of mourning as it used to, although the colosseum will close tonight as a mark of respect.

There is a sense of sadness in the city though, and gratitude. When we arrived at Fiumicino airport late last night, we were greeted with larger than life size images of Pope Francis bearing a single word: Grazie.

Members of the public have been paying tribute to Pope Francis at services across the island of Ireland.

On Wednesday, a special Requiem Mass will take place in Knock Basilica, County Mayo, at 19:30 local time.

Tens of thousands of people braved the heavy rain for a glimpse of Pope Francis when he visited the shrine in 2018.

During his visit to Knock, Pope Francis said no-one could fail to be moved by stories of those who “suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred by painful memories”, and reiterated his wish to see justice served.

When celebrating Mass in Phoenix Park during the same visit, he listed a litany of different types of abuse and mistreatment inflicted on Irish people by Church figures, and the cover-ups of sex crimes.

On each occasion he asked for forgiveness, the congregation applauded.

Pope Francis followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, who visited Dublin and Knock in September 1979.

The Marian Shrine of Knock is a well-known place of Catholic pilgrimage in the west of Ireland.

An estimated 1.5 million pilgrims from across Ireland, and across the world, flock to the shrine every year to pray at the place where an apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, is said to have appeared in August 1879.

Following the apparition, miraculous cures were reported. The first was that of Delia Gordon, a 12-year-old girl who had been deaf and suffered horrific pain.

It is said that her parents took her to the shrine where she knelt before the place where the apparition was seen. Her mother picked a piece of cement from the gable wall, blessed it and put it on her daughter’s ear. The pain went immediately and she was no longer deaf.

Since the apparition, pilgrims have come to Knock in search of healing, reconciliation and peace. Some of them are praying for a cure.