Pope Francis's work for peace must be remembered by those attending his funeral, says Higgins

The funeral for Pope Francis took place in St Peter's Square, attended by world leaders including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Irish President Michael Higgins highlighted Pope Francis's contributions to addressing global poverty, advocating for migrants' rights, and environmental sustainability in his statement. The funeral served as a reminder of the Pope's dedication to nations' shared humanity and the need for collective responsibility in tackling pressing global issues. Notably, this is Archbishop John Joseph Kennedy's third papal funeral.

As President of Ireland, I am pleased to communicate the appreciation of all of the people of Ireland for the life, the documents and the contacts to the most vulnerable all over the world made by Pope Francis, who I was honoured to meet with on five occasions. He was a strong spokesperson for how global poverty could be eliminated and he gave leadership in relation to the rights of migrants.

The world was struck by the generosity given by Pope Francis, right until the very last moments of his life, in terms of seeking to embrace, as he put it, all of humanity.

Read at Irish Independent