William Crawley presents a special programme from Phoenix Park, Dublin: Pope Francis is in Ireland for the World Meeting of Families.
What sort of welcome will Pope Francis receive amid global allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church? Over fifty thousand people are expected, and William Crawley will give a taste of the atmosphere as people flock to Dublin from across Ireland and beyond. He will look at the importance of Pope Francis's visit for Catholics in Ireland and examine how the Church in Ireland has changed since Pope John Paul II visited in 1979; a time when the church had much more influence on society and political life. The Pope will also visit the town of Knock. Rajeev Gupta went along to look at the history of this famous shrine and explore the importance of Pilgrimage. The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin gives his thoughts on the tensions and problems the Catholic Church is facing in Ireland and where he sees its future.Pope Francis met privately with 8 survivors of clerical and institutional abuse. One of them, a Catholic priest Fr Patrick McCafferty, spoke to the BBC's Callum May. Joining William live throughout the programme are former British Ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Campbell and Dearbhail McDonald, Editor for Independent News and Media. They will discuss the reactions to Pope Francis's visit and its legacy both for the relationship between Church and State and for the wider Society in Ireland now and in the future.


Producers
Rajeev Gupta
Carmel Lonergan

Editor
Christine Morgan.