Pope Francis visits Ireland amid outrage over church abuse

Pope Francis began his papal visit to Ireland by acknowledging the "repugnant" sexual abuse of children by clergy and admitted the Catholic Church failed to address the scandal. He later silently prayed in front of a candle commemorating the victims of abuse in St. Mary's Pro Cathedral in Dublin.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, the country's first openly gay leader, urged Francis to follow through on his promises to provide justice for church abuse victims. "We must now ensure that from words flow actions," Varadkar told Francis in a strongly-worded speech at a reception for the pope.

Crowds of people lined the streets in Dublin along the popemobile route for a chance to see Francis on Saturday. Despite the cheering supporters, Francis' reception was much more subdued compared to the massive crowds that greeted Pope John Paul II during his papal visit in 1979.

Not all the banners along Francis' route through Dublin were ones of support. As Francis waved to the crowds, one protester held up a sign reading: "Pope head of the biggest paedophile ring in the history of mankind."

Protesters decorated Dublin's Ha'penny Bridge with rainbow flags and purple umbrellas to support LGBT inclusion in the church and women's ordination. The blue ribbons tied on the bridge were to remember the church abuse victims.

Rounding out his two-day papal visit, Francis led a Mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park where he issued a sweeping apology for the abuse carried out by church leaders. Tens of thousands of people braved the windy and rainy weather to attend the Mass, although turnout was lower than expected. Earlier in the day, he told a crowd in the city of Knock: "I beg forgiveness for these sins."

Elsewhere in Dublin, thousands of people joined the Stand4Truth solidarity march for abuse survivors that took place at the same time as Francis' Mass in Phoenix Park. Survivors, their families and supporters walked in silence to the last of Ireland's former Magdalene laundries where unwed mothers were forced to work and separated from their babies.