“Let us find the courage needed to take all necessary measures and to protect in every way the lives of our children, so that such crimes may never be repeated. In this area, let us adhere, clearly and faithfully, to ‘zero tolerance’” – Pope Francis.

“Being unarmed does seem to suggest that, as a matter of policy, Gardaí will seek to respond to crime in a non-violent way. By doing this, they contribute to reducing the level of violence, rather than escalating it.”

“Violence only leads to retaliation and further grief” and those who resort to violence are left in an insecurity in which “they know no sophisticated modern security systems can really protect them or their loved ones.”

The Vatican Museums include the Sistine Chapel and more than 50 different galleries with 200,000 objects in its collections, 20,000 of which are on public display. There are 27,000 square feet of frescoes, and 4.35 miles of exhibit space.

Prefect of the Vatican’s new Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has said he believes Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland will change some of the negativity here towards the Catholic Church.

“Today too the Church, to bear witness to the light and the truth, is experiencing severe persecution in different places, up to the supreme test of martyrdom.”

“As Pope Francis says, it’s not just an era of change that we are in, it’s a change of era. We must change with it and create a Church that is more ready and better prepared to meet the future than we have the past” – Bishop Leahy.

Bishop Gerard Clifford lived out his motto "May they all be one" says Cardinal Brady.

Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland will inject new energy into the process of regenerating the Church, which will be beneficial for the faithful but will also prompt those who are disillusioned to look again and see it as the Church of mercy and caring that Pope Francis wants it to be.

The Presentation Brothers are really trying to re-engage with their mission, which is to form Christ in the young, and the way that they do that is through youth ministry and evangelisation.

www.protectionofminors.va provides resources across four categories: ‘Healing and Care’, ‘Guidelines’, ‘Education’, and the ‘Day of Prayer [for the Victims and Survivors of Sexual Abuse]’.

“It will be impossible for us to hold on to the ways we lived parish in the past. The parishes of tomorrow will be ‘communities of intentional disciples’ sustained by committed and formed lay people.”

“He has his own ideas as to why he wants to come to Ireland – he looks on it as a contribution he wishes to make to the renewal of the Church in Ireland and also to the renewal of family life in Ireland” – Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Each day of Advent amounts to a period of time which allows us to journey and reflect on the joy of the Gospel.

“The threat of the Culture of Death is now real and imminent ... in the form of population control measures being emphatically proposed, promoted and propagated from one nation to the next.”

‘Misericordia et misera’ extends a number of initiatives begun in the Holy Year, asks the Missionaries of Mercy to continue their ministry, and grants all priests the right to absolve sin of abortion.

A visit by Pope Francis would have the same impact as that of Pope John Paul II in 1979, says Cllr Pearse Flannery.

According to New York Times exit polls, Catholics overall voted 52 per cent for Trump and 45 per cent for Clinton.

The permanent diaconate has the capacity and capability of changing the face of the Irish Church – Bishop Denis Nulty.

“Notice everything. Turn a blind eye to some things. Correct a little. Cherish the brethren” – new Abbot of Glenstal quotes St Bernard.

“Every time I go into a prison I ask myself, ‘Why them and not me?’”

“It would have been unimaginable to our parents’ generation to think that the Pope would be joining in the 500th commemoration of Martin Luther,” says bishop of Limerick, Brendan Leahy.

“We have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another” – Pope Francis.

“I encourage the faithful to share the ideals of the Caritas International #PeacePossible4Syria campaign and to pray for peace in the Middle East, especially in Syria and the city of Aleppo” – Bishop Crean.

President of the World Meeting of Families 2018, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, told reporters that the right to life “is a fundamental issue for the Church everywhere” and the Church “is not going to change its position on that”.

In an increasingly secular world, people need to have courage to swim against the tide.

Bishop Buckley says it is a great privilege to serve the people, especially in times of difficulty.

Family is all about ‘connection’ – Archbishop Eamon Martin.

The author of ‘Pope Francis Among the Wolves: The Inside Story of a Revolution’, said the wolves in the title of his book refer to conservatives who don’t want change.

Mauritius prelate studied for the priesthood in Ireland, while the Prefect of the new Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life was born in Dublin.