Dublin, Ireland, Aug 25, 2018 / 12:21 pm
Pope Francis met early Saturday evening with eight abuse victims in Ireland, during his visit to the country for the World Meeting of Families.
A statement from the Vatican press office said the pope met "for an hour and a half with eight Irish survivors of clerical, religious and institutional abuse."
"Those present included Mrs. Marie Collins; Rev. Patrick McCafferty, P.P.; Rev. Joe McDonald; Councillor Damian O'Farrell; Paul Jude Redmond; Clodagh Malone; and Bernadette Fahy. One survivor, a victim of Fr. Tony Walsh, preferred to remain anonymous," the statement said.
The pope's trip to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families follows ongoing revelations of sexual abuse and cover up in numerous countries, including Ireland, Australia, Chile and the United States.