Pope can help heal sins of the Church

ALMOST 40 years since the last papal visit to this country, much has changed. It was practically inevitable we would evolve into a more secular society as time moved on.

But that is only part of the story. The plain fact is that the Catholic Church has been totally out of step with the general population on issues such as divorce, contraception, gay marriage and, as witnessed in the recent referendum, abortion.

It hardly needs saying, though, that the biggest factor in the Church’s slow demise has been the issue of clerical sex abuse. While it might have initially appeared to be a problem affecting only Ireland, it later emerged as a scandal that stretched right across the globe.

That was bad enough, but the hurt was made far worse by the cynical tactics used by Church authorities – here and in the Vatican – to hush up crimes committed by trusted members of the clergy.

Against that backdrop, even non-believers have been impressed by Pope Francis since his election five years ago. He has been responsible for introducing a more progressive and inclusive style of papacy.

It comes as little surprise that so many people are keen to see the Pontiff when he comes to Ireland in August.

All the tickets for his visit to Knock have been snapped up already. Meanwhile, organisers are confident the congregation will also be at full capacity when he says Mass at the Phoenix Park.

The Irish Daily Mail today reveals that the Taoiseach’s office is urging Ministers to say it would be ‘appropriate’ for His Holiness to meet survivors of clerical abuse. It is difficult to see how this wouldn’t be a suitable and sensible course of action for everyone involved.

Quite rightly, the religious powers-thatbe have been criticised for failing to treat victims in a compassionate and humane manner. This is a perfect opportunity for them to try to make up for past failings.

We all know the truth. For far too long, survivors of clerical abuse were denied a voice. Now they could be given the chance to speak to Pope Francis about their suffering. The most important thing in all of this is that it would be good for the victims. But it would also be a positive development for the Catholic Church. And it would play a crucial part in a healing process that still has quite some way to go.