Irish premier arrives at Vatican for meeting with the Pope

Prefect of the Papal Household Petar Rajic welcomes Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his wife Mary to the Vatican (Liam McBurney/PA) - (PA Wire)

Irish premier Micheal Martin has arrived at the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted in the San Damaso Courtyard on Friday morning by the Prefect of the Papal Household, Petar Rajic and the papal gentlemen.

The meeting between the Taoiseach and the Pope is expected to last up to 35 minutes.

Prefect of the Papal Household Petar Rajic (right) welcomes Taoiseach Micheal Martin in San Damasso Courtyard, Vatican City (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

Ahead of the visit, Mr Martin said he expected to discuss Ireland’s peace process and Ireland taking up the presidency of the EU Council.

He also said they would engage on how leaders “can act together to end conflict in the world”, including in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.

He said the Pope had been “a steadfast advocate for human dignity, for the poor and marginalised” and that they shared “many common values” – including a belief in the rule of law and in diplomacy to bring about peace.

“I look forward to exchanging views with him on how we can work together to promote effective multilateralism as the best way to address our many challenges and bring an end to conflict,” Mr Martin said ahead of the meeting.

“As we look ahead to the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Holy See, this meeting is also an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the Church as a country in all its facets, including the deep pain and trauma of the survivors of clerical abuse and their needs.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his wife Mary walk past the Swiss Guards as they arrive in the San Damaso Courtyard (Liam McBurney/PA) (PA Wire)

The Taoiseach will also have a bilateral meeting with Holy See Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, as part of the visit.

Afterwards, he will go to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome to meet members of the college community and view its archives.

Mr Martin is to announce Government funding to support the cataloguing, digitisation and preservation of the archive as part of the college’s conservation, accessibility, and public outreach project to coincide with the visit.

Later on Friday, Mr Martin is to meet Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, following a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Thursday.

The meetings with the two EU leaders is part of preparations for Ireland holding the presidency of the EU Council from July.