Pope arrives in Ireland for first papal visit since 1979

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Pope Francis arrived in Ireland on Saturday for the first papal visit in 39 years to a country devastated by clerical abuse as scandals elsewhere mire the Catholic Church in its worst credibility crisis in years.

A damning report last week into abuse in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, combined with scandals in Australia and Chile, has put pressure on Francis to more fully address the issue of child sex abuse in the Church that has eroded its standing in Ireland.

Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Alison Williams

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