A woman from Co Donegal has spoken of her joy at being asked to read one of the liturgical readings at the Requiem Mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict.
Mary Maguire from Letterkenny read the second reading, which was from the First letter of St Peter (1:3-9).
The reading praises God's mercy giving the faithful "a new birth" as his children and "by raising Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we have a sure hope and the promise" of eternal life in heaven.
It is understood that Mrs Maguire's involvement in the mass is due to her work in the Cathedral parish in the Diocese of Raphoe.
A woman from Co Donegal has read one of the liturgical readings at the Requiem Mass of Pope Emeritus Benedict. Mary Maguire from Letterkenny said it was an honour and a shock to be asked to read | Read more: https://t.co/YjCVC6I0sV pic.twitter.com/nnhJDfXolh
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 5, 2023
Monsignor Kevin Gillespie, who is the Cathedral Administrator of the Diocese, previously worked in Rome at the Congregation of the Clergy and was a personal Master of Ceremonies to Pope Benedict at the time.
The Congregation for the Clergy, which is now known as the Dicastery of the Clergy, handles requests for dispensation from active priestly ministry.
The well-known Letterkenny priest Fr Eamonn McLaughlin is also working in the Dicastery.
Sources say that they know Ms Maguire from her work in the Cathedral parish; in particular, her work with Saint Vincent De Paul in Letterkenny.
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Ms Maguire said it was "an honour" to read at the funeral and that she had "so much joy" in her heart afterwards.
Speaking to RTÉ News while in Rome, Ms Maguire said that even though it was a sad occasion, she felt joy and was honoured to be there.
She said her initial reaction when asked on Monday if she would go to Rome to read at the funeral was no, but her family told her it was a "wonderful opportunity" and encouraged her to go.
She described the reading she was asked to do as "beautiful" and said she managed to remain calm while speaking.
"It was such an honour, I just had so much joy in my heart afterwards, real, real joy," she said.
"Although it was a sad occasion, I just felt so much joy. It was an honour to be here."
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar attended a mass which was celebrated for Pope Emeritus Benedict in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin this morning.
