Pope: in Ireland I saw the joy of families and the pain of those who were abused

At the general audience, Francis retraces the highlights of his recent visit to Ireland. The families present at the IX World Meeting "an eloquent sign of the beauty of the dream of God for the entire human family". "Deeply marked by the meeting with some survivors: there were eight; and on several occasions I asked the Lord for forgiveness for these sins, for the scandal and the sense of betrayal [they] have procured".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Last weekend’s visit to Ireland was an opportunity for Pope Francis to reaffirm the value of the family and its unity, bearer of peace, but also to "take responsibility for the pain and bitterness for the suffering caused in that country by various forms of abuse" even within the Church. The value of the family and the pain of abuse were the central points of the visit to Ireland in the Pope’s reflections on the journey at today's general audience.

Speaking to the twenty thousand people present in Saint Peter's Square, Francis first addressed the reasons for the visit, the conclusion of the IX World Meeting of Families. "The thousands of families - spouses, grandparents, children - gathered in Dublin, with all the variety of their languages, cultures and experiences, were eloquent signs of the beauty of God's dream for the entire human family. We know: God's dream is unity, harmony and peace, for the family and for the world, the fruit of fidelity, forgiveness and reconciliation that he has given us in Christ. In the mystery of His love, He calls families to participate in this dream and make the world a home where nobody is alone, unwanted or excluded ".

"The real and apt 'high points' of these days were testimonies of conjugal love given by couples of all ages. Their stories have reminded us that the love of marriage is a special gift from God, to be cultivated every day in the 'domestic church' that is the family. How greatly this world is in need of a revolution of love, of a revolution of tenderness to overcome the culture of the provisional". "They also showed us how faith takes place in daily life, 'around the home table”, and spreads its beauty in the great community of the Church and of society".

"The highlight of my visit was the big festival with the families, Saturday night, in the Dublin stadium, followed Sunday by Mass in the Phoenix Park. During the Vigil we heard very touching testimonies of families who suffered from wars, families renewed by forgiveness, families where love saved from the spiral of addictions, families who learned to use mobile phones and tablets well and give priority to the time spent together . And the value of communication between generations and the specific role of grandparents in consolidating family ties and transmitting the treasure of faith were stressed ". Francis went on to reaffirm the central role of grandparents in this. But "today it seems that grandparents are a disturbance". "In this culture of waste, grandparents are 'discarded', they are distanced", but "grandparents are wisdom, they are the memory of a people, the memory of families." "Please do not discard your grandparents."

"This visit to Ireland, in addition to great joy, also had to take on the pain and bitterness for the suffering caused in that country by various forms of abuse, even by members of the Church, and the fact that in the past the ecclesiastical authorities were not always able to adequately deal with these crimes. [I was ] deeply marked by the meeting with some survivors: there were eight; and on several occasions I asked the Lord for forgiveness for these sins, for the scandal and the sense of betrayal [they] have procured. I implored Our Lady to intercede for the healing of the victims and to give us the strength to firmly pursue truth and justice. The Irish Bishops have undertaken a serious path of purification and reconciliation with those who have suffered abuse, and with the help of national authorities have established a series of strict rules to ensure the safety of young people. In my meeting with the Bishops, I encouraged them in their efforts to remedy the failures of the past with honesty and courage, trusting in the Lord's promises and counting on the profound faith of the Irish people, to inaugurate a season of renewal of the Church in Ireland ".

"In Ireland there is faith, there is a great faith, but you know there are few vocations to the priesthood. We must pray for vocations in Ireland. We will do it with a Hail Mary dedicated to Our Lady of Knock ".

"The World Meeting of Families in Dublin was a prophetic, comforting experience of many families engaged in the Gospel way of marriage and family life; families disciples and missionaries, leaven of goodness, holiness, justice and peace. We forget so many families that carry on all this ". But, Francis said, today it is fashionable to indicate separations and divorces. "I respect everyone, we must respect people, but the ideal is not divorce, the ideal is not separation, it is not the destruction of the family. The ideal is the united family. So forward: this is the ideal ".

And in the greeting to the Arabs, the Pope invited pilgrims to pray "for all the families who are in difficulty to rediscover the greatness of the love that united them and the strength of faith capable of healing their wounds".

Finally, at the end of the general audience, the Pope recalled that next Saturday is the fourth World Day of Prayer for the care of creation, "which - he said - we celebrate in union with our Orthodox brothers and sisters and with the adhesion of other Churches and Christian Communities ".

"In this year's Message, I would like to draw attention to the question of water, a primary asset to be protected and made available to all. I am grateful for the various initiatives that in various places the particular Churches, Institutes of consecrated life and ecclesial aggregations have prepared. I invite everyone to join in prayer, Saturday, for our common home, for the care of our common home ".

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