Pope begs forgiveness for 'betrayal' of Church abuse in Ireland

"False Dawns"

Francis, facing sexual abuse crises in several countries, wrote an unprecedented letter to all Catholics last week asking each one of them to help root out "this culture of death" and vowing there would be no more cover ups.

Some of those who turned out on a misty morning in Knock, where a group of locals in 1879 said they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary, said Francis should be given a chance to deal with the abuse issues that have rocked the Church for decades.

"People have to give this man a chance, he’s trying his best," said Carmel Lane, who travelled from County Longford in the Irish midlands to attend the Mass.

Vatican officials on Sunday declined immediate comment on an 11-page letter given to conservative Roman Catholic media outlets in which Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said he had told Francis in 2013 that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick had faced extensive accusations of sexually abusing lower-ranking seminarians and priests.

McCarrick became the first Cardinal in living memory to resign his position in the Church leadership after a review concluded that allegations he had sexually abused a 16-year-old boy were credible.

McCarrick has said that he had "absolutely no recollection" of the alleged abuse of the teenager 50 years ago but has not commented on the other allegations.

One survivor of clerical abuse who met the pope on Saturday, Paul Redmond, said strong language used by Francis at the meeting gave him hope that something might be shifting in the Catholic Church.

"There’s been a lot of false dawns, there’s been a lot of empty promises and a lot of talk but maybe, maybe this is the time something, something substantial will actually happen in the Church," Redmond told Reuters.

But others who took part in sporadic protests around Dublin on Saturday were not convinced.

"I don’t think he should come and expect us to pay for his visit when there are people today in Ireland who are so damaged and need so much help that they can’t function because of all the abuse," said Lisa, 30, who declined to give her family name, as she waited with other protesters for the Popemobile to pass.

"He shouldn't have come."