Pope meeting abuse survivors is welcome

ALMOST four decades have passed since Pope John Paul II made his historic visit to this country. Times, as we all know, have changed since then.

Only a few days from now, Pope Francis will arrive in a very different Ireland. We have become a far more secular society in the intervening years.

But the main difference is the fall from grace of the Catholic Church, which couldn’t have been anticipated back in 1979 or, indeed, for quite some time afterwards. Even now, the reality of it all is deeply shocking.

It was bad enough that individual members of the clergy had abused children, but the fact that they were protected by their superiors made it even more sickening. Worse still, though, is that the conspiracy of silence reached the upper echelons of the Vatican. Against that backdrop, it is to be welcomed that the Pontiff will meet abuse survivors during his visit here.

It is, of course, a good thing that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are looking forward to a weekend of respectful celebration. But, given what has unfolded from the 1990s onwards, it is important that the visit isn’t just about faithful followers.

It must instead be balanced with appropriate recognition and acknowledgement of the grievous wrongs inflicted on generations of children. There can be no place for platitudes in Pope Francis’s exchanges with those affected.

Accordingly, it is crucial that he gets to meet victims who are undaunted about outlining their views in the most robust fashion. The time for niceties has long since past. Unless His Holiness hears the full, brutal truth from those who suffered, it will be both a wasted opportunity and a largely futile exercise.

The initial signs are positive, though. That he will undertake these meetings is a progressive development, especially given that it will involve painful memories for everyone involved. It also increases the likelihood of Pope Francis’s visit being remembered as a historic event for all the right reasons.