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Irish Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Crowds gather to sign book of condolences for Pope Francis at Pro Cathedral
Queues formed outside Dublin's Pro Cathedral on Wednesday morning as faithfuls waited to sign a book of condolences for Pope Francis. The church has a special connection to the late pontiff, who visited the cathedral during his 36-hour trip to Ireland in 2018. Led by Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell, the church placed the book beside a framed photo of the pope to the right of the altar. By afternoon, long queues had died down but dozens waited inside as others trickled in to pay their respects. One of those signing the book was Rosemary Connolly, from Co Down, who said Pope Francis meant a lot to her. She told the Irish Mirror: 'I think he was a great pope for our time, any time really. It was his profound humanity, his empathy for the more disadvantaged, and we are unfortunately in a world that is bereft of anything like that. 'He stood out, he was always decent and good and he radiated that.' Rosemary travelled down to Dublin to spend the day with her daughter Eimear Burns Convery, who is sad that the world lost a decent man. She said: 'He was definitely a really great pope, he was more progressive, which connected much more with me as a younger person in the church and he will definitely be missed. He had such a kind way about him, very much like Francis the saint, he connected with that title and he had a good sense of humour as well. 'He will be missed, at the minute things seem very scary and it's sad to lose a very poignant and amazing figure who could have done a lot of good.' Liam O'Keefe travelled from Kildare Town to sign the book of condolences in Dublin's Pro Cathedral on Wednesday. He believes Pope Francis was 'a humble man' who 'changed the way the Vatican was being run'. The Kildare man added: 'He was less conservative, particularly with transgender people, he was trying to reach out to all of them. I hope the next pope follows in his footsteps. 'I prayed for him to get better and thanked the lord for making him so well when he came out, it was great to see him blessing people in St Peters Square on Easter Sunday. Then when I turned on the radio on Monday to hear he had died, it came as a shock.' Angela Farrelly, from Kilnamanagh, Dublin, brought her eight-year-old grandson Joe Coady in to pay his respects to the pope. She said: 'I think he was the only child there but he said he would like to do it! 'Sometimes I don't agree with everything in the Catholic Church but I found the pope to be trying to make a change and that's important; hopefully the next pope will continue that. He was very good to the poor, I remember when he became pope he went down to pay his own bill after buying his papers, that will be his legacy. He was a kind man.' Dermot Holmes, from Mullingar, Co Westmeath, said he would like to see the next pontiff be like Pope Francis, and make a change. He said: 'As far as religion goes, the perception was that he was changing things so it will be interesting to see who takes his place and what is going to happen. 'I have four kids between 25 and 35 and religion is the last thing on their radar. They are going to have to do something serious to get that generation back in, I don't know how they are going to get around it- changes definitely. I can't understand how women haven't been going up in arms that they aren't in more power. "If you go into any mass the women are fixing the altar, doing all the jobs but they aren't able to climb the hierarchy.' Ken Fitzsimons, from Tallaght in Dublin, also hopes that the next pope will bring change to the Catholic Church. He believes the first step is allowing priests to marry. He said: 'I think there's big decisions to be made now and priests getting married will be one of them, otherwise it's going to die. [Pope Francis] was pretty good overall I thought, he was less conservative than previous ones and he was very open. He was more with the people than other ones.' Books of condolences for Pope Francis have opened all across the country and around the globe. Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming signed the book in the Holy See Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin on Wednesday, as he reflected on meeting the pontiff twice. He and his wife Mary had a private audience with Pope Francis last December before he represented Ireland at a Consistory in St. Peter's Basilica, where 21 new Cardinals were being appointed. Speaking fondly of the late pope, Deputy Fleming said: 'My abiding memory is that he was a kind, gentle, friendly and holy person and it was almost like speaking to an elderly parent. 'I presented him with a St. Brigid's Cross and told him the story of St. Brigid and that Ireland has recently made her feast day a public bank holiday. He spoke strongly about the wars in the World and he was very disappointed that Europe was not playing a greater part in protecting innocent civilians around the world and especially in Gaza.'
Powys County Times
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 ‘a great mark of the man'
The Archbishop of Dublin has said that Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 for abuse scandals in the Catholic Church was an example of the 'great mark of the man'. The Archbishop of Armagh said that survivors' stories of abuse loomed over the 2018 trip and that a year later the pontiff gathered bishops from around the world to ensure safeguarding mechanisms were in place. The pontiff's visit to Ireland in 2018, as part of the World Meeting of Families, was overshadowed by Ireland dealing with the legacy of abuse scandals by figures and institutions of the Catholic Church. His visit prompted several demonstrations, including at a mass grave of infants at a former home for unmarried mothers in Co Galway, and at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. Along with meeting homeless people at a centre run by the Capuchin Fathers and praying at the Knock shrine in Co Mayo, the Pope met with survivors of clerical abuse. After meeting with survivors on Saturday evening, he penned a plea for forgiveness that he later delivered during an open-air mass in Phoenix Park. During that address, he asked for 'forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland' and for 'pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions'. Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said the issue of mother and baby homes was 'very much in the fore' at the time. 'A mark of the man, he responded to that very spontaneously at the mass in the Phoenix Park, when he wrote his own penitential right shaped around what he had heard from some people who had found themselves in that home during their life.' He said he introduced a formal document of the structure for dealing with cases of abuse and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, including for not properly dealing with it. The Dublin archbishop also said Francis himself admitted to making mistakes but had learned from them. He added: 'When he came as Archbishop of Buenos Aires into the papacy, he had that great empathy for people who had suffered in their lives, and nobody has suffered more than people who have personally experienced sexual abuse or found themselves in difficult situations in life, and it was because of that empathy that he was able to offer his apology to these people, and that's a great mark of the man that we are mourning today.' Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the 2018 visit was 'overshadowed by the story of abuse' but that the Pope confronted bishops around the world about abuse in 2019. 'By gathering the bishops of the entire world together in 2019 – I was present at that to represent the bishops of Ireland – he was making it very clear, abuse is a problem of humanity,' he said. 'It is a problem that is not unique to any one continent or to any one country. And he therefore confronted all of the bishops present to ensure that they had proper safeguarding mechanisms in place, that they had procedures for following up all survivors of abuse.' Irish premier Micheal Martin said people would remember the Pope's 'expression of pain and shame' during the 2018 visit over historic child abuse in the Catholic Church and the failure of the religious institution to 'adequately address these appalling crimes'. 'In Ireland, I think, he did deal with the issues of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, acknowledged his own failings in that regard, and in many ways his non-judgmental approach to life itself enabled him to deal with these issues, perhaps ultimately more effectively than maybe others,' the Taoiseach said speaking at Fairyhouse. 'Subsequently, not in respect of Ireland, but he did comment that he had, in other instances, not responded as sufficiently, as appropriately as he should have, and he said that himself. 'I think overall he will be remembered as someone who cared deeply about each individual and was particularly hurt by the wrongs that were committed by members of the Church on people, particularly young children.' Colm O'Gorman, a survivor of clerical abuse and the former head of Amnesty International Ireland, organised the rally at the Garden of Remembrance to coincide with the Phoenix Park Mass in 2018. He said what Pope Francis delivered at the Mass was not an apology and no pope has yet apologised for abuse at Catholic institutions. 'I have yet to see a papal apology for abuse anywhere and it's always very frustrating when the statements that various popes have made over the years are presented as an apology,' he told PA. 'What popes generally do – and that includes, sadly, Pope Francis – is they speak of their regret and sadness, or sorrow at the hurt caused to so many people. That's not an apology. It's an expression of sorrow. 'No pope has ever done that (apologised). The Vatican has never, ever, ever acknowledged its central role in not just permitting these cover-ups to happen, but in directing these cover-ups.'
Irish Independent
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Pope Francis dies of stroke, confirms Vatican doctor, nine days of mourning begin and Dublin-born cardinal with a key role
'He brought a freshness and radical freedom' - Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said Pope Francis had great empathy and sympathy for people who found themselves in 'harsh' and 'difficult' environments. He added that despite being a sad day today following the pope's death, he thanked God for his leader's ministry since his election in 2013. 'He has brought a great energy and vitality to the church right up until yesterday,' he told RTÉ's News at One. 'From the moment of his election, it was obvious things were going to be very different. 'He brought both a freshness and radical freedom to do things that his predecessors hadn't. He had a great humanity. When he was talking to you, he was talking to you. 'Even though there might be thousands of other people around, he could focus on the individual and he came very much to life when he met people and individuals,' he said. Dr Farrell said Pope Francis brought humility and simplicity to the papacy, through wearing simple vestments, by going around in a simple car and by paying his own bills. He noted that the first thing Pope Francis did on his visit to Ireland in 2018 was to apologise regarding child sexual abuse and other abuses from the church. 'He wrote his own introduction when he was at the Phoenix Park, which was the penitential rite. That was the mark of the man. He made mistakes in his own life. 'He was a little bit harsh when he was superior general of the Jesuits in Argentina, but he learned from that. That brought that forgiveness which was very important in his life, like humility and looking out for the poor, looking out for those who are disadvantaged," he said.
The Independent
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 ‘a great mark of the man'
The Archbishop of Dublin has said that Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 for abuse scandals in the Catholic Church was an example of the 'great mark of the man'. The Archbishop of Armagh said that survivors' stories of abuse loomed over the 2018 trip and that a year later the pontiff gathered bishops from around the world to ensure safeguarding mechanisms were in place. The pontiff's visit to Ireland in 2018, as part of the World Meeting of Families, was overshadowed by Ireland dealing with the legacy of abuse scandals by figures and institutions of the Catholic Church. His visit prompted several demonstrations, including at a mass grave of infants at a former home for unmarried mothers in Co Galway, and at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. Along with meeting homeless people at a centre run by the Capuchin Fathers and praying at the Knock shrine in Co Mayo, the Pope met with survivors of clerical abuse. After meeting with survivors on Saturday evening, he penned a plea for forgiveness that he later delivered during an open-air mass in Phoenix Park. During that address, he asked for 'forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland' and for 'pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions'. Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said the issue of mother and baby homes was 'very much in the fore' at the time. 'A mark of the man, he responded to that very spontaneously at the mass in the Phoenix Park, when he wrote his own penitential right shaped around what he had heard from some people who had found themselves in that home during their life.' He said he introduced a formal document of the structure for dealing with cases of abuse and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, including for not properly dealing with it. The Dublin archbishop also said Francis himself admitted to making mistakes but had learned from them. He added: 'When he came as Archbishop of Buenos Aires into the papacy, he had that great empathy for people who had suffered in their lives, and nobody has suffered more than people who have personally experienced sexual abuse or found themselves in difficult situations in life, and it was because of that empathy that he was able to offer his apology to these people, and that's a great mark of the man that we are mourning today.' Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the 2018 visit was 'overshadowed by the story of abuse' but that the Pope confronted bishops around the world about abuse in 2019. 'By gathering the bishops of the entire world together in 2019 – I was present at that to represent the bishops of Ireland – he was making it very clear, abuse is a problem of humanity,' he said. 'It is a problem that is not unique to any one continent or to any one country. And he therefore confronted all of the bishops present to ensure that they had proper safeguarding mechanisms in place, that they had procedures for following up all survivors of abuse.' Irish premier Micheal Martin said people would remember the Pope's 'expression of pain and shame' during the 2018 visit over historic child abuse in the Catholic Church and the failure of the religious institution to 'adequately address these appalling crimes'. 'In Ireland, I think, he did deal with the issues of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, acknowledged his own failings in that regard, and in many ways his non-judgmental approach to life itself enabled him to deal with these issues, perhaps ultimately more effectively than maybe others,' the Taoiseach said speaking at Fairyhouse. 'Subsequently, not in respect of Ireland, but he did comment that he had, in other instances, not responded as sufficiently, as appropriately as he should have, and he said that himself. 'I think overall he will be remembered as someone who cared deeply about each individual and was particularly hurt by the wrongs that were committed by members of the Church on people, particularly young children.' Colm O'Gorman, a survivor of clerical abuse and the former head of Amnesty International Ireland, organised the rally at the Garden of Remembrance to coincide with the Phoenix Park Mass in 2018. He said what Pope Francis delivered at the Mass was not an apology and no pope has yet apologised for abuse at Catholic institutions. 'I have yet to see a papal apology for abuse anywhere and it's always very frustrating when the statements that various popes have made over the years are presented as an apology,' he told PA. 'What popes generally do – and that includes, sadly, Pope Francis – is they speak of their regret and sadness, or sorrow at the hurt caused to so many people. That's not an apology. It's an expression of sorrow. 'No pope has ever done that (apologised). The Vatican has never, ever, ever acknowledged its central role in not just permitting these cover-ups to happen, but in directing these cover-ups.'
BreakingNews.ie
21-04-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 ‘a great mark of the man'
The Archbishop of Dublin has said that Pope Francis's plea for forgiveness in 2018 for abuse scandals in the Catholic Church was an example of the 'great mark of the man'. The Archbishop of Armagh said that survivors' stories of abuse loomed over the 2018 trip and that a year later the pontiff gathered bishops from around the world to ensure safeguarding mechanisms were in place. Advertisement The pontiff's visit to Ireland in 2018, as part of the World Meeting of Families, was overshadowed by Ireland dealing with the legacy of abuse scandals by figures and institutions of the Catholic Church. His visit prompted several demonstrations, including at a mass grave of infants at a former home for unmarried mothers in Co Galway, and at the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin. Along with meeting homeless people at a centre run by the Capuchin Fathers and praying at the Knock shrine in Co Mayo, the Pope met with survivors of clerical abuse. After meeting with survivors on Saturday evening, he penned a plea for forgiveness that he later delivered during an open-air mass in Phoenix Park. Advertisement During that address, he asked for 'forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland' and for 'pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions'. Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said the issue of mother and baby homes was 'very much in the fore' at the time. 'A mark of the man, he responded to that very spontaneously at the mass in the Phoenix Park, when he wrote his own penitential right shaped around what he had heard from some people who had found themselves in that home during their life.' He said he introduced a formal document of the structure for dealing with cases of abuse and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, including for not properly dealing with it. Advertisement The Dublin archbishop also said Francis himself admitted to making mistakes but had learned from them. He added: 'When he came as Archbishop of Buenos Aires into the papacy, he had that great empathy for people who had suffered in their lives, and nobody has suffered more than people who have personally experienced sexual abuse or found themselves in difficult situations in life, and it was because of that empathy that he was able to offer his apology to these people, and that's a great mark of the man that we are mourning today.' Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the 2018 visit was 'overshadowed by the story of abuse' but that the Pope confronted bishops around the world about abuse in 2019. 'By gathering the bishops of the entire world together in 2019 – I was present at that to represent the bishops of Ireland – he was making it very clear, abuse is a problem of humanity,' he said. Advertisement Pope Francis arrives to attending the closing Mass at the World Meeting of Families at Phoenix Park in Dublin in 2018 (Danny Lawson/PA) 'It is a problem that is not unique to any one continent or to any one country. And he therefore confronted all of the bishops present to ensure that they had proper safeguarding mechanisms in place, that they had procedures for following up all survivors of abuse.' Taoiseach Micheál Martin said people would remember the Pope's 'expression of pain and shame' during the 2018 visit over historic child abuse in the Catholic Church and the failure of the religious institution to 'adequately address these appalling crimes'. 'In Ireland, I think, he did deal with the issues of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, acknowledged his own failings in that regard, and in many ways his non-judgmental approach to life itself enabled him to deal with these issues, perhaps ultimately more effectively than maybe others,' the Taoiseach said speaking at Fairyhouse. 'Subsequently, not in respect of Ireland, but he did comment that he had, in other instances, not responded as sufficiently, as appropriately as he should have, and he said that himself. Advertisement 'I think overall he will be remembered as someone who cared deeply about each individual and was particularly hurt by the wrongs that were committed by members of the Church on people, particularly young children.' Colm O'Gorman, a survivor of clerical abuse and the former head of Amnesty International Ireland, organised the rally at the Garden of Remembrance to coincide with the Phoenix Park Mass in 2018. He said what Pope Francis delivered at the Mass was not an apology and no pope has yet apologised for abuse at Catholic institutions. 'I have yet to see a papal apology for abuse anywhere and it's always very frustrating when the statements that various popes have made over the years are presented as an apology,' he told PA. 'What popes generally do – and that includes, sadly, Pope Francis – is they speak of their regret and sadness, or sorrow at the hurt caused to so many people. That's not an apology. It's an expression of sorrow. 'No pope has ever done that (apologised). The Vatican has never, ever, ever acknowledged its central role in not just permitting these cover-ups to happen, but in directing these cover-ups.'
