Bishop of Limerick says Pope's visit 'will address Church controversies'

THE BISHOP of Limerick has said he expects the Pope’s visit will address Church controversies that “left a dreadful impact on the lives of victims and their families”.

Bishop Brendan Leahy made the comments this week as demand for tickets for the triennial World Meeting of Families has skyrocketed since being made available on Monday morning.

The holy celebration will take place in Ireland for the first time ever, from August 21 to August 27.

While the 45,000 free tickets for Pope Francis’ prayer service at Knock Shrine were snapped up in a matter of hours, there is still hope for tens of thousands who wish to attend the massive celebration at Phoenix Park.

But these tickets will not be available for long as around 400,000 tickets, of a total of 500,000, have already been booked, a spokesperson told the Limerick Leader on Wednesday.

Bishop Leahy said that he confidently predicts that the Limerick flag will be waved visibly at the historic celebration in Knock and Dublin based on widespread interest so far.

“There’s huge excitement building and we’re experiencing that back here in Limerick.  We have just come back from the annual Lourdes Pilgrimage and there was, of course, a lot of talk about the Pope’s visit throughout it. Naturally, there’s a lot of interest in how many people will attend but it is way above being just a barometer for the strength or weakness of the Catholic Church in Ireland today.

“It is ultimately about renewal of the family, about reminding ourselves of just how important the family is; our own families and the wider family of Christ. This is one of the great quests of Pope Francis - to strengthen the family again and I think there will be great joy in how we go about that,” Bishop Leahy stated this week. 

The Limerick Diocese is seeing arrangements being put in place for people to go to Dublin and to knock with parishes booking buses for both journeys.

“I am also delighted that our delegates to the World Meeting of Families, Emer and John Williams, have been able to keep good contact with the World Meeting of Families office in Dublin and bring our questions and ideas to the organisers.

The Bishop added: “I have no doubt it is going to be an amazing event and that the Catholic family will be left in a much better place for it all.  It is coming at a time when we are in need of this type of spiritual renewal, given the controversies and issues within the Church, issues that have left a dreadful impact on the lives of victims and their families. I expect that those issues will also be addressed, as any family should address problems that it has. Ultimately, at the end of it all, we will come out stronger, better, more united and ready to go forward into a new era in which we will put the most important things at the centre of our lives, especially the family.”

The Limerick Diocese will host an opening ceremony in Limerick at St John’s Cathedral on Tuesday, August 21, at 7pm. This will form part of a simultaneous countrywide celebration across every diocese to open the World Meeting of Families, and will be preceded by a family party in St John’s Square.

Because the events are free, people are advised that if they are asked to pay for a ticket, they are urged to contact An Garda Siochana. 

It is not the first time there was a papal visit to Ireland. In 1979, Pope John Paul II brought hundreds of thousands to Limerick during his visit. He was later given the Freedom of Limerick. 

For more information on World Meeting of Families, visit www.worldmeeting2018.ie.