Pope Francis visits Shrine of Our Lady of Knock

Pope addresses crowds in Knock

Source: Vatican Media/ICN

Pope Francis arrived at Knock airport on Sunday morning, descending the steps of an Aer Lingus plane called St Aidan. In fact, all the national carrier's aircrafts are given the names of Irish Saints. He was welcomed by the Archbishop of Tuam, Mgr Michael Neary, the four bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province and hundreds of enthusiastic school children waving Vatican flags and smiling broadly.

At the shrine itself, an estimated 45,000 people had gathered from early morning, with many wearing plastic ponchos in an attempt to shield them from the ever present showers. Many here had been praying for good weather to make up for the rain that had poured down during the visit of St John Paul II nearly 40 years ago.

After greeting the crowds gathered outside, the Pope entered the Shrine and prayed in front of the Chapel of the Apparition, for all the families of the world, then he presented the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Knock, with a golden rosary in acknowledgment of the tradition of the family rosary in Ireland.

In his Angelus address from a specially constructed podium, the Pope prayed that Our Lady, "would look with mercy on all the suffering members of her Son's family", especially the victims of abuse committed by members of the Church in Ireland.

None of us, he said, "can fail to be moved by the stories of young people who suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred by painful memories. This open wound challenges us to be firm and decisive in the pursuit of truth and justice. I beg the Lord's forgiveness for these sins and for the scandal and betrayal felt by so many others in God's family. I ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for the healing of the survivors and to confirm every member of our Christian family in the resolve never again to permit these situations to occur."

The full text of Pope Francis' address follows:

Dear brothers and sisters,

I'm happy to be here with you. I am happy to be with you in the Casa della Madonna. And I thank God for the opportunity to visit, in the context of the World Meeting of Families, this Shrine so dear to the Irish people. I thank Archbishop Neary and the Rector, Father Gibbons, for their cordial welcome.

In the Chapel of the Apparition I entrusted to the loving intercession of Our Lady all the families of the world and, in a special way, your families, the Irish families. Our Mother Mary knows the joys and hardships that are experienced in every home. Holding them in his Immaculate Heart, he presents them with love to the throne of his Son.

In memory of my visit, I brought a Rosary as a gift. I know how important the tradition of the family Rosary is in this country. I recommend: continue with this tradition. How many hearts of fathers, mothers and children have drawn consolation and strength over the years, meditating on the participation of Our Lady in the joyous, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the life of Christ!

Mary is Mother. Mary is our Mother, she is also the Mother of the Church, and it is to her that we entrust today the path of the faithful people of God in this "Emerald Isle". We ask that families be supported in their commitment to spread the Kingdom of Christ and to take care of the least among our brothers and sisters. Among the winds and storms that rage over our times, are the bulwark families of faith and goodness that, according to the best traditions of the nation, resist all that would diminish the dignity of man and woman created in the image of God and called to the sublime destiny of eternal life.

May Our Lady look with mercy to all the suffering members of her Son's family. Praying before his statue, I presented to you, in particular, all survivors who were victims of abuse by members of the Church in Ireland. None of us can be moved by the stories of minors who have suffered abuse, who have been robbed of innocence or who have been turned away by mothers, and abandoned to the disfigurement of painful memories. This open scourge challenges us to be firm and determined in the search for truth and justice.

I implore the Lord's forgiveness for these sins, for the scandal and betrayal felt by many in the family of God.

I ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for all survivors of abuse of any kind and to confirm every member of the Christian family in the resolute purpose of never allowing these situations to happen again; and also to intercede for all of us, so that we can always proceed with justice and repair, as far as we are concerned, so much violence.

My pilgrimage to Knock also allows me to extend a cordial greeting to the beloved people of Northern Ireland. Although my journey to the World Meeting of Families does not include a visit to the North, I assure you of my affection and my closeness in prayer.

I ask Our Lady to support all members of the Irish family to persevere, as brothers and sisters, in the work of reconciliation. With gratitude for the ecumenical progress and for the significant growth of friendship and collaboration among the Christian communities, I pray that all the disciples of Christ should continue their efforts to advance the peace process and build a harmonious and just society for their children. today, be they Christians, Muslims, Jews, or of any faith: children of Ireland.

And now, with these intentions and with all those that we carry in our hearts, let us turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Angelus prayer...

After the Angelus, Pope Francis had a special message for prisoners, saying: "I would like to address a special greeting to the men and women who are in prison in this country, and to thank in particular those of them who wrote to me knowing that I would come to Ireland. I would like to tell you: I am near you, very close. I assure you and your family of my closeness and my prayer. May Mary, Mother of Mercy, watch over you and strengthen you in faith and hope. Thank you!

Read more about the Knock Shrine: www.knockshrine.ie/