“We ask pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions run by male or female religious and by other members of the church.”
Pope Francis has asked for forgiveness for abuses carried out by members of the Catholic Church during his public mass at the Phoenix Park on Sunday.
The Pontifex met with survivors of clerical abuse for a 90-minute meeting on Saturday before attending Croke Park for the World Meeting of Families live event.
On Sunday, he spoke to the gathered masses and directly asked for forgiveness for clerical abuse carried out in Ireland.
“We ask forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland,” said Pope Francis.
“Abuses of power, conscience and sexual abuses perpetrated by members with roles of responsibility in the church.
‘In a special way we ask pardon for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions run by male or female religious and by other members of the church.
“And we ask for forgiveness for those cases of exploitation through manual work that so many young men and women were subjected to. We ask forgiveness.”
Following pledge to survivors, Pope Francis asks for forgiveness for abuses carried out by members of the church pic.twitter.com/BdFaYLqGn8
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 26, 2018
On Sunday morning, Pope Francis visited Knock where he begged for God’s forgiveness while discussing the “open wound” of clerical abuse in Ireland.
Before 45,000 people, he indicated that he would seek firm and decisive action to obtain “truth and justice”.
In Dublin on Sunday afternoon, a large public demonstration gathered on city centre streets in solidarity with victims of abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church.
The Stand4Truth protest kicked off at 3pm, directly in line with the mass at the Phoenix Park.
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