Pope Benedict will not be making a live broadcast to the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, as had been expected.
A pre-recorded message from him will be shown at the closing Mass in Croke Park next Sunday, at which the celebrant will be the papal legate Cardinal Mark Ouellet.
Speaking today at a press conference in the RDS, where the opening Mass of the Congress is to begin at 3pm, congress general secretary Fr Kevin Doran said it had never been confirmed that the papal broadcast would be live and that weather factors influenced a decision to pre-record the message.
A ceremony celebrating Irish Catholic cultural and spiritual heritage is opening the congress in Dublin this afternoon. It is expected that 20,000 people will attend today's opening and crowds have been arriving at the RDS all morning.
Speaking at the same press conference, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin said there was an awareness among the estimated 7,000 pilgrims from abroad attending the Congress "that the Irish church has been through difficult times."
He said there was a desire "a desire to ensure that the church in Ireland would be a different church, that it would return to the central message, to the gospels, and in particular to the Eucharist".
He described clerical child abuse as "a travesty of what the gospel is about."
People attending from abroad were there to show "solidarity with the Irish Church" for which they also had "great affection and great respect for what the Irish Church has done abroad”
Also attending the congress would be many "priests who have led exemplary lives and who are happy to be here to get new encouragement," he said. The abuse issue would be addressed on Thursday and "at other events as well," he said.
Fr Doran said a healing stone would be unveiled as part of the Congress opening ceremony this afternoon. This would be done by "somebody from the Safeguarding Committee....rather than interfere with the privacy of a survivor," he said.
He said there was a desire "a desire to ensure that the church in Ireland would be a different church, that it would return to the central message, to the gospels, and in particular to the Eucharist".
He described clerical child abuse as "a travesty of what the gospel is about."
People attending from abroad were there to show "solidarity with the Irish Church" for which they also had "great affection and great respect for what the Irish Church has done abroad”
Also attending the congress would be many "priests who have led exemplary lives and who are happy to be here to get new encouragement," he said. The abuse issue would be addressed on Thursday and "at other events as well," he said.
Fr Doran said a healing stone would be unveiled as part of the Congress opening ceremony this afternoon. This would be done by "somebody from the Safeguarding Committee....rather than interfere with the privacy of a survivor," he said.
The congress is expected to attract up to 12,000 people each day over eight days.
A welcome involving 500 participants with flags and banners representing every parish in Ireland will form part of the opening events today, whicha are expected to be attended by some 20,000 people.
Musical performers will include the Three Tenors and the Palestrina Choir.
Following the ceremony, a Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Ouellet, and will be attended by national and international pilgrims taking part in the 50th congress.
Tomorrow see the first catechesis, or daily teaching moment, of the eight-day congress. It will be given by prior of the Taizé monastic community in France, brother Alois Löser.
Dr Martin will address the congress tomorrow about the church in the modern world.
The head of Catholic fraternity, the Knights of Columbanus, will give a personal testimony to the congress on Tuesday.
Supreme knight Carl Anderson’s address will be on the day’s theme of communion in marriage and the family.
A film about the 1932 congress that was held in Dublin 80 years ago will also feature on Tuesday.
The theme of ministry will be addressed on Wednesday by a wide range of both ordained and lay Catholic ministers, including Archbishop of Vancouver J Michael Miller.
Wednesday’s programme includes sessions on caring for priests, poets of the Eucharist and the missions. The day will end with a procession.
Former taoiseach John Bruton will be among those to address Thursday’s congress. He will speak about the Christian tradition in European democracy.
Speakers from organisations including Crosscare, Social Justice Ireland, Trócaire and Children in Crossfire will address pilgrims on Thursday’s justice and reconciliation theme.
United Nations special envoy on migration Peter Sutherland will speak on Friday. His address on attitude towards migration forms part of Friday’s theme on suffering and its potential to exclude and isolate people.
Professor of medical gerontology Desmond O’Neill will talk about the communion of the dying and the sick.
A member of the large Vatican delegation, Archbishop Piero Marini of the Vatican’s Committee for the International Eucharistic Congresses, will lead prayers on the final day at the RDS.
The congress moves to Croke Park stadium on Sunday for the final Mass (Statio Orbis), which will be celebrated by Cardinal Ouellet.
Music for the closing ceremony will include The Priests, soprano Celine Byrne and composer Fr Liam Lawton.