HISTORIC PAPAL VISIT TO IRELAND Pope’s pain & shame at abuse... but protesters want action not words

Catholics who have no reason to feel shame because of the crimes of the Vatican and the institutional church.”

The Pope was due to meet sex abuse victims in private yesterday afternoon.

But Maeve Lewis, director of survivors’ group One in Four, said the Pope’s speech was “a missed opportunity” that failed to announce “tangible changes in Vatican law or policy that would tackle the sex offenders and their protectors in a meaningful way.”

She added: “Survivors are weary of apologies that are not followed up with real action.” Tomorrow, as Francis celebrates Mass for 500,000 people at Phoenix Park, thousands of protesters will gather at a Stand4truth rally in support of abuse victims.

Despite the clouds hanging over the church, the people of Ireland still gave Pope Francis a warm, personal welcome – although the crowds were nowhere near as big as those who flocked to see John Paul.

In 1979 more than 1.2 million people went to his mass in Phoenix Park, and three million turned out in total.

Ireland was the most Catholic country in Europe – but now only a third of adults attend mass regularly as changing attitudes to divorce, abortion and gay rights reduce the church’s authority.

Mr Varadkar, Ireland’s first openly gay PM, also told the Pope how members of the LGBT community feel excluded by the church.

At a protest on Dublin’s Ha’penny Bridge yesterday morning, reform group We Are Ireland tied blue ribbons to railings in solidarity with abuse victims – and decked it in LGBT flags.

Elsewhere, pairs of baby shoes had