Pope begs god’s forgiveness for ‘scandal and betrayal felt by so many’

On the second day of his historic Irish visit, Francis said the crimes committed by members of the church had left an “open wound”.

At an address at the holy shrine of Knock, in Co Mayo, the pontiff said no-one could fail to be moved by stories of young abuse victims who were “robbed of their innocence” and left with “painful memories”.

Thousands of pilgrims who braved the rain to see the Pope at a site revered by Irish Catholics applauded as he urged decisive steps to bring truth to the victims.

“None of us can fail to be moved by the stories of young people who suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred, distanced from mothers, abandoned, and left with painful memories,” he said.

“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.

The engagement at Knock came ahead of a huge outdoor Mass in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, for which half a million people have tickets.

The first day of the papal visit on Saturday was dominated by the bitter legacy of historical scandals linked to church abuse and mistreatment.

On Saturday evening, the Pope met a number of victims of criminality and cruelty inflicted by church members.

The private engagement in Dublin…