St. Peter's Square welcomed the pope's return with enthusiasm. Pope Francis greeted thousands of people from the pope mobile and then summed up his trip to Ireland in his catechesis.
He recalled that the purpose of the trip was to close an international event: the World Meeting of Families. With a certain sadness in tone, the pope proposed revising the current models of the ideal family.
POPE FRANCIS
“Today it is fashionable in the magazines, in the newspapers to talk: this one has divorced from this one, that one from that one, that one is separating. But please, this is an ugly thing. It is true, I respect everyone, we must respect people but the ideal is not divorce, the ideal is not separation, the ideal is not a family that is broken. The ideal is the united family. Go ahead! That's the ideal.”
Although the World Meeting of Families was a joyful event, the pope did not overlook a painful fact: that in Ireland he had to face the scandal of sexual abuse committed by members in the Church and the deep wound it has left in the country. He asked for forgiveness and felt the evil it has done to the country and Catholics. From the square he asked to pray that the Church in Ireland be renewed.
POPE FRANCIS
“In Ireland there is faith. There are people of faith. A faith with great roots. But you know what? There are few vocations to the priesthood. How is that possible? It's because of these problems, the scandals, so many things. We must pray that the Lord will send holy priests to Ireland, send new vocations. And we will do it together by reciting a Hail Mary to the Virgin of Knock.”
At the end of his catechesis, the pope invited people to join on September 1st the Church on a day of reflection for the Protection of Nature.
