Pope Francis asks forgiveness for ‘abuses’ in Ireland

Well, he’s said it. At the exuberant closing mass in driving rain of his visit to Ireland, the Pope has asked, off script, forgiveness for the wrongs committed by the church. Specifically he asked forgiveness for ‘the abuses in Ireland; 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 by members with roles of responsibility… for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions run by male or female religious and by other members of the church. We ask forgiveness of those cases of exploitation through manual work that so many young women and men were subjected to. We ask forgiveness.’ The congregation received the remarks in what seemed like grateful silence, and responded with applause. The poor bloody infantry of Irish Catholicism have had a lot to put up with over the last few years; this felt like the Pope giving them hope.