Devoted son wore deceased father's shoes to meet Pope 'so he could walk the journey with me'

Art O' Leary, centre right, meeting Pope Francis when he visited the Vatican City in 2017 while working for President Micheal D Higgins. Art's father Bill O' Leary was a religious man who died in 2014, and Art wore his father's shoes to meet the Pope. The smiles in the photograph are as the translator tells the Pope about the shoes.

When Art O’ Leary met Pope Francis in 2017, he was wearing shoes that did not fit him very well — but he had good reason for that.

The shoes had belonged to his father Bill, who died in 2013.