MY REFLECTIONS ON POPE FRANCIS’ VISIT TO IRELAND – By Mairead Maguire
Pope Francis‘ two-day visit to Ireland on the 25th and 26th of August 2018 comes at a time when people need hope. The Irish Church has been devastated by the abuse scandals, which have never been properly dealt with. The victims and survivors of church abuse have told their stories and knocked on doors trying to get a hearing, and meet those who would listen to the terrible injustices perpetrated on them by some Catholic clergy and religious institutions. It is only in the last few years that it has been recognized by the Catholic hierarchy that clerical abuse has taken place. The pain, frustration and anger of so many victims has been allowed to fester and perpetrators of these abuses in the past often protected for fear of damage…