Pope shamed by Church’s abuse failures

Pope Francis who arrived at Dublin Airport for the Republic of Ireland’s first papal visit for almost 40 years said he is ashamed of the Catholic Church’s failure to adequately address the “repellent crimes” of sex abuse by clergy. 

The papal's visit to Ireland on Saturday, the first to the Irish Republic for 39 years, coincides with the World Meeting of Families, a global Catholic gathering held every three years.

The visit will end with a Mass for 500,000 people at Phoenix Park on Sunday.

The Pope was presented with flowers and vestments by children at the airport.

I cannot fail to acknowledge the grave scandal caused in Ireland by the abuse of young people by members of the Church charged with responsibility for their protection and education, the Pope told political leaders and dignitaries at Dublin Castle.

The failure of ecclesiastical authorities – bishops, religious superiors, priests and others – adequately to address these repellent crimes has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community, he said.

I myself share those sentiments.

The Ireland that he is visiting is a different country to that which greeted Pope John Paul II in 1979.

Since the Polish pope’s visit, there have been huge changes in public attitudes to social issues including abortion, contraception, divorce and same-sex marriage.

Last week, in a letter to the world’s 1.2bn Roman Catholics, the Pope condemned the “atrocities” of child abuse and clerical cover-ups.

He was speaking after Mr Varadkar said the failures of the Church, the state and wider society had created a “bitter and broken heritage for so many, leaving a legacy of pain and suffering”.

Magdalene Laundries, mother and baby homes, industrial schools, illegal adoptions and clerical child abuse are stains on our state, our society and also the Catholic Church, he said.

People kept in dark corners, behind closed doors, cries for help that went unheard.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Church must follow words with action over the issue of abuse. 

Above all, Holy Father, I ask to you to listen to the victims and survivors.

Mr Varadkar said there could be zero tolerance for those who abuse children or who facilitate that abuse and that from words action must flow.