Cardinal Desmond Connell has warned against a fast-track canonisation for Pope John Paul II.
In an interview with 'The Voice Today' newspaper he also said the late Pope had been hoping to revisit Ireland to help counteract the drift away from the Catholic Church.
The Cardinal said there was a danger the canonisation process could become over-emotional if it was launched immediately in the wake of the Pope's death.
Vatican re-opens crypt to the public
Vatican officials have allowed the public to enter the crypt containing the tomb of Pope John Paul II.
From this morning, pilgrims are being allowed to file past the tomb, which is covered in a white marble slab.
The Italian authorities had asked the Vatican to keep the burial site closed for a few days, fearing that the crowds that had filled Rome for the Pope's funeral last Friday would not leave.
The conclave of 115 cardinals who will elect the next Pope begins next Monday afternoon.
