Vatican: Pope meets Belfast priest and Presbyterian minister
- Published
A delegation from Belfast met the Pope at the apostolic palace at the Vatican
A Presbyterian minister and a Catholic priest from Belfast have met Pope Francis in Rome.
Rev Steve Stockman and Fr Martin Magill were part of a delegation from Belfast which met the Pope at the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican.
They were invited in their role as organisers of an annual cross-community festival which is this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.
In January, Pope Francis sent a video message to the 4 Corners Festival.
He praised Fr Magill and Rev Stockman for building bridges between communities in Belfast and on Monday he met them in person for the first time.
In a blog written before the meeting at the Vatican, Rev Stockman, who is originally from Ballymena, wrote: "I have no doubts that many in my denomination and other Protestants will call me a heretic.
"From what I have read and heard about Pope Francis I see him as a fellow follower of Jesus.
"I am particularly drawn to his humility and efforts to live outside the ostentatious ways of the Vatican."
The Catholic chaplaincy at Queen's University said the Pope shared wise words and encouragement with them
Also at the meeting in Rome was a delegation from the Catholic chaplaincy at Queen's University in Belfast, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
'Incredible wisdom and heart'
On Twitter, the chaplaincy wrote, external: "We were honoured to meet with Pope Francis today. He shared with our students wise words and encouragement."
On the official news agency Vatican News, a picture of the gathering was posted including a statement from the Pope, external.
The Pope was quoted as saying: "If we truly believe in Jesus, we must do what Jesus does: Encounter others, encounter our neighbours, in order to share with them the saving truth of the gospel."
Afterwards, Rev Stockman, a former Presbyterian chaplain at Queen's and now a minister at Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in south Belfast, described the Pope as "a follower of Jesus, a man of God who had an incredible wisdom and heart to share with me".
Fr Magill, a parish priest at St John's Church on the Falls Road in west Belfast, said: "Pope Francis did talk about ecumenism, Christians being together, working together, praying together, being friendly together.
"It was lovely to hear Christians being together in a world that so fractured and at pain at this time," he added.