The World Meeting of Families (WMoF) has officially got under way ahead of the Pope’s visit to Ireland.
Thousands descended on Dublin’s Royal Dublin Society (RDS) to attend the opening ceremony.
Church bells were rung simultaneously across Ireland’s 26 dioceses to launch the five-day Catholic congress.
Prayers were also said throughout the dioceses.
More than 37,000 people from 116 different countries are expected to attend the RDS for a series of events as part of the Catholic festival.
Hundreds of thousands more will attend the celebrations that will be led by Pope Francis this weekend in Dublin and Knock.
The WMoF will culminate with the closing papal mass in Phoenix Park on Sunday.
The event has gained huge significance since the Pope made a statement on Monday apologising for the atrocities of clerical sexual abuse.
In a letter to the world’s more than one billion Catholics, Pope Francis said the…
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