Irish bishops offer prayers of thanksgiving for Pope Francis on his tenth anniversary

Source: Irish Catholic Media Office

On Monday, 13 March, as Pope Francis marks the tenth anniversary of his election as Pope, Irish bishops will be offering prayers of thanksgiving for the Holy Father, for his pastoral leadership of the Universal Church and for his intentions.

During their Spring General Meeting this week in Maynooth, the bishops remembered in a special way the inspiring pilgrimage of Pope Francis to the Ninth World Meeting of Families in Ireland in August 2018. They also recalled the warm welcome and open conversation they had with Pope Francis, for more than two hours, when he met members of the Bishops' Conference during their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit to Rome in January 2017.

The Bishops expressed particular gratitude for the writings of Pope Francis - in particular his 2013 apostolic exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world, Evangelli Gaudium; his 2015 encyclical letter on care for our planet, Laudato Si'; and his 2016 apostolic exhortation on love in the family, Amoris Laetitia - which have all been popular and bestsellers in Ireland.