Pope to visit Knock Shrine
Pilgrims prepared for torrential rain have begun arriving at a Catholic shrine in Ireland ahead of Pope Francis' visit.
Knock in Co Mayo was said to be the site of an apparition in 1879. Francis is following in the footsteps of his predecessor John Paul II, who arrived at the hallowed spot in 1979.
Pale blue flags were given out and plastic ponchos to protect against the elements were ubiquitous.
Those attending included the young and the elderly, some in wheelchairs and at least one with a guide dog.
The Rev Thomas Harrington from Cork displayed a VIP invite and joked with photographers I will sue you'', as he made his way in using a mobility aid.
Yesterday the pope met with victims and survivors of historical abuse by the church.
The 90-minute private encounter with eight survivors at the Papal Nuncio's residence in Dublin came hours after the Pope acknowledged that Irish people had a right to be outraged by the church's response to the crimes.
On the first day of his historic visit to Ireland, the pontiff also prayed for all victims of clerical sex abuse.
The Pope's decision to address the dark legacy of abuse in a speech in Dublin Castle drew praise in some quarters, but others criticised Francis for not saying enough or offering a public apology.
With the reverberations of a litany of clerical sex crimes casting a shadow over the first papal visit to Ireland in almost 40 years, Francis acknowledged the gravity of what had happened.
"With regard to the most vulnerable, I cannot fail to acknowledge the grave scandal caused in Ireland by the abuse of young people by members of the church charged with responsibility for their protection and education," he said.
"The failure of ecclesiastical authorities - bishops, religious superiors, priests and others - adequately to address these repellent crimes has rightly given rise to outrage and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community.
"I myself share those sentiments."
Margaret McGuckian from SAVIA, said survivors needed to see actions, not words.
"This is a show of pomp and ceremony in the eyes of victims and survivors here, who have never even been listened to properly," she said.
"There's a lot of people here who have never been given redress compensation, the mothers and babies have never been acted on."