Pope Francis on Saturday met eight survivors of clerical abuse for 90 minutes during his 32-hour trip to Ireland. The group included not only those sexually abused by clergy, but also people who spent time in industrial schools and mother and baby homes, all of which have been the settings for abuse scandals.
I am grateful to all of you for your warm welcome. It is good to be here! It is good to celebrate, for celebration makes us more human and more Christian. It also helps us to share the joy of knowing that Jesus loves us, he accompanies us on our journey of life, and each day he draws us closer to himself.
Since the summit of families in Dublin, originally designed to promote Pope Francis’s document on the family “Amoris Laetitia”, has been overtaken by the shadow of serious charges of sexual abuse and cover-up, it would appear that it’s not the time to shine for the LGBT constituency.
I am pleased that we can meet in this historic Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary’s, which has seen countless celebrations of the sacrament of matrimony over the years. How much love has been expressed, and how many graces have been received in this holy place!
At the beginning of my visit to Ireland, I am grateful for the invitation to address this distinguished assembly representing the civil, cultural and religious life of the country, together with the members of the diplomatic corps and guests.
Just hours after landing in Ireland for the World Meeting of Families, the “pope of the poor” will pay a visit to Dublin’s neediest population where he’ll be welcomed into a very special family, one that holds special weight in his vision of the Church’s role in the world.
Cardinal Blase Cupich offered a powerful admission that Church leaders “cannot pretend to teach” on matters such as the family and love without acknowledging the scandal of clerical sex abuse, which looms ever larger over the global Catholic Church at the moment.
When Colm O’Gorman left home just after he turned 18 years old, he spent six months on the streets of Dublin homeless and wondering what he did wrong in life to be sexually abused by a Catholic priest for years. Now he’s only left with words to describe the agony of long ago, but the horror never left him.
Leading up to the World Meeting of Families, some critics charged the focus was too narrowly on Ireland. Those detractors received a response on Wednesday morning, when an opening session dealt with how refugees might help restore stronger familial bonds all across the globe.
Pilgrims attending the World Meeting of Families from Brooklyn and Queens visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral this week – but not the one they’re familiar with in Manhattan.
