Northern Ireland

Pope Francis to deliver video message to 4 Corners Festival

Pope Francis will deliver a video message to the 4 Corners Festival, which starts this weekend
Pope Francis will deliver a video message to the 4 Corners Festival, which starts this weekend

Pope Francis is set to deliver a personal message to a faith based festival which kicks off in Belfast this weekend.

The video message from the Pontiff coincides with the 10th anniversary of the 4 Corners Festival, which begins at St Anne's Church of Ireland Cathedral in Belfast on Sunday.

Other faith leaders who will take part in the festival include Church of England Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who will talk from St Peter's Catholic cathedral in west Belfast.

The popular cross-faith festival is designed to bring people together from all walks of life and aims to focus on similarities rather than difference.

In a three minute message Pope Francis expresses his love for festivals and speaks of how pleased he is that Archbishop Welby is due to speak during the 4 Coroners event.

Speaking about the 4 Corners Festival Pope Francis said: “This is a Christian reality.

"To the extent that we open more horizons, the more the grace of God enters us, the more the Lord is revealed to us”.

Other festival highlights will include a discussion with Dr Austen Ivereigh, an esteemed biographer and collaborator with Pope Francis on his new book Let Us Dream, on Sunday.

Events sure to grab attention include Carl at Clonard, in which Belfast boxer Carl Frampton speaks to Declan Lawn about his life and faith, while In Conversation With Ruth McGinley, the acclaimed pianist, will also prove popular.

For more information on the festival please visit: https://4cornersfestival.com/.