Archbishop hopes Pope will address abuse victims' concerns - and Stormont stalemate

Q Radio News

Protesters have arranged a series of rallies coinciding with the pontiff's trip.

Maeve Lewis, executive director of the One in Four Irish charity for those affected by sexual abuse, said it would have been an insult had the pope not met survivors while in Ireland.

She said some would very much want to engage while others would avoid him due to a sense of "betrayal".

"If the pope is in an open, listening mode when he meets the survivors he can learn a lot about the terrible devastation of sex abuse and how people feel let down," she said.

"If he makes any promises to survivors in terms of actions he should follow through on that.

"It would be terribly hurtful if the meeting (produced) no concrete outcome as a result of this."

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has been speaking with Q Radio....

The Archbishop says he's hoping the Pope will also address the current stalemate at Stormont...

The Pope has expressed hope his visit to Ireland will help grow unity and reconciliation among Christians on the island.

In a video message released ahead of his weekend arrival, Pope Francis said he was excited about his two-day trip to Dublin and the Knock holy shrine in Co Mayo.

The video was released hours after it was confirmed that the Pope will meet victims of clerical sex abuse during his Irish visit.

The Pope is also attending the Catholic Church's World Meeting of Families during a packed itinerary of engagements.

"Although the specific reason for my visit to Ireland is the World Meeting of Families, I would like to include all the members of the Irish family," said the Pope.

"In a particular way, I pray that it may further the growth of unity and reconciliation among all Christ's followers, as a sign of that lasting peace which is God's dream for our whole human family."

In opening the video message, the pontiff said: "As I prepare to visit Ireland in a few days' time for the World Meeting of Families, I send a warm word of greeting to all the Irish people. I am excited at the thought of returning to Ireland."

The Pope is not due to travel to Northern Ireland during his visit, despite being urged by religious figures on both sides of the region's sectarian divide to travel across the border.

The World Meeting of Families has officially got under way ahead of the Pope's visit to Ireland.

Thousands descended on Dublin's Royal Dublin Society on Tuesday evening to attend the opening ceremony.

Prayers were said across all of Ireland's 26 dioceses to mark the start of the event.

Church bells were rung simultaneously across the dioceses to launch the five-day Catholic congress.

The Archbishop of Dublin has welcomed the thousands of international visitors who will gather at the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) event "to celebrate and foster family life".

During the homily at the opening ceremony, Diarmuid Martin said: "There are those who would look at the World Meeting as some sort of ideological gathering to celebrate a type of family which probably does not exist.

"Whatever of the past, here in Dublin the World Meeting is something much more profound: it is to reflect the opening words of our reading: 'You are God's chosen race; he loves you'."

Dr Martin added: "The family is not a remote ideological notion but the place where compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience and forgiveness are learned, practised and spread."