Pope Francis: Speculation of papal visit to Ireland during 2018 conference

Pope Francis confirmed that Dublin has been chosen as the venue to host the next World Meeting of Families, a Vatican event usually accompanied by a papal visit

Speculation about a papal visit to Ireland in 2018 is mounting after Pope Francis confirmed that Dublin will host a high-profile Vatican event that year.

The city has been chosen as the venue for the next World Meeting of Families, which takes place every three years.

Since its inception in 1994, there has only been one occasion when the pontiff did not attend the event.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Ireland said a papal visit was a "possibility" but not yet confirmed.

If it goes ahead, it would be the second papal visit to the Republic of Ireland, following a tour by Pope John Paul II in 1979.

The editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper, Michael Kelly, told BBC Radio Ulster that he expected Pope Francis to attend the Dublin conference in three year's time.

"If you look back on these previous World Meetings of Families, there's only been once when a pope hasn't presided at them, and that was 2003 when [Pope] John Paul II was quite ill at the time.

"So, I think we're in fairly solid ground to say that all being well - I mean OK the Pope is 78, he will be in his early 80s by the time 2018 comes around but he seems in fairly robust health - so I think we can certainly say all being well, he will be here," Mr Kelly added.

In a statement, the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin, welcomed the announcement that the next World Meeting of Families will take place in Dublin, but did not make any reference to a future papal visit to Ireland.

"I am delighted to hear that Pope Francis has announced that the 9th World Meeting of Families will take place in Dublin, and that Archbishop [of Dublin] Diarmuid Martin is in Philadelphia with our delegation to hear the news directly from the Holy Father," Archbishop Martin said.

"Three years ago the 50th International Eucharistic Congress was a great celebration of faith for Ireland, and it attracted pilgrims from all around the world. I am confident that the World Meeting of Families in 2018 will also be an uplifting event for all of us."