POPE CONCERT
Pope Francis greeted by 82,000 at Dublin stadium rally after admitting ‘pain and shame’ of abuse scandal
POPE Francis has addressed a congregation of more than 82,000 Catholics at Dublin's Croke Park.
The Pontiff was given a hero's welcome when he arrived at the stadium by the flag-waving faithful and Mexican waving nuns.
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Thousands flocked to see Francis as he became the first pope to visit the country in nearly four decades.
The two-hour-long celebration was dubbed the “Festival of Families” and featured music, song, dance, and spoken word.
It included a performance of Riverdance by 500 children from dance schools around Ireland, and entertainment from local and international artists, including opera singer Andrea Bocelli.
Before the lavish stadium event the head of the Catholic Church met with eight Irish survivors of clerical abuse.
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Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Francis met with the group for about 90 minutes this evening. Among the victims was Marie Collins, a prominent survivor who served on Francis' advisory board but quit in frustration last year.
She has since become a harsh critic of the Vatican, and occasionally the pope.
On his arrival in Dublin this morning to begin the two-day visit he immediately spoke of his "pain and shame" at the church's child abuse scandal.
In the first papal visit to the country in almost 40 years, Pope Francis landed 10.26am on a direct flight from Rome.
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He is due to hold mass tomorrow with half a MILLION pilgrims expected to attend.
But speaking first alongside Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon, Francis said that public outrage against the failures of the church to protect children in its care was justified.
In extraordinary comments addressing the scale of clerical sex abuse in Ireland, the pontiff said people were right to be angry at church figures over the "repellent crimes" inflicted on young people.
He told an audience at Dublin Castle: "With regard to the most vulnerable, 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."
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He added: "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.
"I myself share those sentiments."
But Francis said that the church now has a responsibility to make amends by redoubling efforts to provide care for the most vulnerable in society.
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He added: "It is my hope that the gravity of the abuse scandals, which have cast light on the failings of many, will serve to emphasise the importance of the protection of minors and vulnerable adults on the part of society as a whole," he added.
"In this regard, all of us are aware of how urgent it is to provide our young people with wise guidance and sound values on their journey to maturity."
The Pope said he also wished to acknowledge women who in the past had "endured particularly difficult circumstances".
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On Northern Ireland, he praised those who helped forged the historic Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
And he referenced the political deadlock in Northern Ireland, which has seen the region without a properly functioning devolved government for 20 months.
Francis said: "We can give thanks for the two decades of peace that followed this historic agreement, while expressing firm hope that the peace process will overcome every remaining obstacle and help give birth to a future of harmony, reconciliation and mutual trust."
The speech came after a private meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, at which the Irish premier urged the Pope to "listen to the victims".
Earlier, he met Irish President Michael D Higgins at his official residence in Phoenix Park.
Pope Francis arrives in Ireland for first papal visit in nearly 40 years
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Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to welcome Pope Francis during his whistle-stop tour of the capital city and Co Mayo over the weekend.
The Pontiff will witness a country that has undergone seismic social changes in the four decades since the last papal visit in 1979, when John Paul II was lauded by a nation shaped by its relationship with an all-powerful Catholic Church.
Senior Irish clerics and other dignitaries gathered on the apron of the runway to greet the Pope clapped as the Alitalia flight landed.
Irish and Vatican flags were flown from the cockpit windows as the aircraft taxied toward its stand.
Pope Francis emerged from the plane soon after, walking down the steps to be greeted on a red carpet by Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney.
He was with his wife Ruth and their three daughters Jessica, Beth and Annalise. The children greeted him in Irish, English and Spanish.
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One of the girls then presented the Pope with a bouquet of flowers. The bouquet included thistles, yellow and white roses and green foliage.
Francis is likely to receive a warm reception from the thousands of pilgrims who have travelled to be part of the occasion.
However, he will also be met by protesters angry at how the church dealt with multiple clerical sex abuse scandals that have damaged trust in the religious institution and seriously weakened its influence on Irish society.
Mr Coveney acknowledged that many people had mixed feelings about the visit.
He said: "I think it's been difficult for many people, for victims, for Catholics and many of the clergy.
"But I hope and expect that this weekend will be a very powerful moment. He has a personality that can reach out to Irish people."
The Pope was driven from the airport for a meeting with the Irish President at his residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park.
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Francis was greeted by Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina at their home at Aras an Uachtarain.
The Irish greeting party also included Irish government minister for children and youth affairs Katherine Zappone.
An Irish Army band played the national anthems of Vatican City and Ireland during the arrival ceremony.
Moving inside the property, the pontiff signed the visitors book before entering into a private meeting with Mr Higgins, which took place ahead of a tree planting ceremony.
Earlier this week, the Pope wrote a 2,000-word letter to Catholics in which he condemned the crime of sexual abuse by priests and subsequent cover-ups.
He demanded accountability in response to fresh revelations in Pennsylvania in the United States of decades of misconduct by clerics.
Francis is ostensibly in Ireland to attend the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) - a major global church event focused on promoting family values.
However, he will also fulfil a number of other engagements.
With Ireland in the midst of a high-profile homelessness problem, the Pope will meet a number of impacted individuals and families at a centre run by a religious order.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Dublin city centre on Saturday afternoon as he passes through in his famous Popemobile.
Pope Francis meets President Michael D Higgins in the first Irish papal visit in 40 years
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On Sunday the Pope will fly west to Co Mayo where he will follow in the footsteps of John Paul II and take part in a religious service at a Holy shrine.
He will then return to Dublin for the closing centrepiece of the WMOF event - an outdoor Mass in front of an expected congregation of half a million people.
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