Pope Francis begs God’s forgiveness
A HUGE crowd of pilgrims welcomed the Pope to an outdoor religious service in Dublin as his historic trip to Ireland came to a close.
Well-wishers waved flags, cheered and reached out to touch the pontiff as he was driven in his Popemobile through throngs of the faithful who braved torrential rain and a two-mile hike to attend the Papal Mass in Phoenix Park.
A total of 500,000 free tickets were snapped up for the event but the inclement weather undoubtedly put off some from attending.
The arrival of Francis, at what has been billed as one of the biggest open-air events in Europe this year, came hours after he begged for God’s forgiveness as he called for firm action in pursuing justice for church abuse victims in Ireland.
On the second day of his visit, the Pope said the crimes committed by members of the church had left an “open wound”.
At an address at the holy shrine of Knock, in Co Mayo, he said no-one could fail to be moved by stories of young abuse victims who were “robbed of their innocence” and left with “painful memories”.
Thousands who came to see the Pope at a site revered by Irish Catholics applauded as he urged decisive steps to bring truth to the victims.
“None of us can fail to be moved by the stories of young people who suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred, distanced from mothers, abandoned, and left with painful memories,” he said. “This open wound challenges us to be firm and decisive in the pursuit of truth and justice.
“I beg the Lord’s forgiveness for these sins and for the scandal and betrayal felt by so many others in God’s family.
“I ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for the healing of the survivors and to confirm every member of our Christian family in the resolve never again to permit these situations to occur.”
The first day of the papal visit on Saturday was dominated by the bitter legacy of historical scandals linked to church abuse.
On Saturday evening, the Pope met a number of victims of criminality and cruelty inflicted by church members.
The private engagement in Dublin came hours after Francis expressed “pain and shame” over failures to tackle the scandals.