Rite to have pride about Dub at helm

A BISHOP at the Vatican has told of the tears shed among colleagues for Pope Francis, and a sense of "national pride" for Irish people that a Dublin man is overseeing arrangements until a new pontiff is elected.

- BY AINE FOX

Bishop Paul Tighe said while Francis had been unwell, there was still a sense of shock about his death on Easter Monday, followed by a "madness" as people were "scattering to get back from wherever they were" over the holiday weekend.

Bishop Tighe, 67, who has been based at the Vatican for 17 years, said while "the machine has kicked in fairly quickly" in terms of preparations for what comes next, there was still a sense of real loss among those in the Vatican for a man dubbed the people's Pope.

He added: "The first emotion for most people is probably a sense of shock. We kind of knew this was coming, but it's like when an elderly relative dies, you might be waiting but when the moment comes, it's kind of a shock, and you suddenly realise you're in a new position.

"In the last few days, I've seen many of my colleagues, we all found a moment to go up and visit the body, lots of tears, not just the stoic 'let's move on'. Lots of tears, lots of sadness for so many people."