The Irish Church seems divided over a possible Papal visit. Despite the prophets of doom, I believe that the Holy Father should and will attend the Dublin Eucharistic Congress

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It is my personal belief that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Ireland this year. He may even travel to the closing ceremony of the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Dublin. He will do this despite the prophets of doom in his own Church, and also because he knows that the ordinary Mass-goers in Éire are currently in need a form of pastoral care than only the Successor of St Peter can offer. His visit may only last hours, but will certainly boost the morale of his flock in Ireland for the next few decades.

Sadly, the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, recently downplayed the prospect of a visit to Ireland by the Pope. During an interview with RTÉ, the Archbishop stated that he felt a Papal visit to coincide with the Eucharistic Congress would be premature in light of the recent clerical child abuse scandals. These criminal acts by priests, sometimes involving the collusion of Ireland's bishops and the Irish state, have led to a general feeling of anger against the Church in Ireland. In what many consider to be a cynical or frankly unjust move, the Irish government has also openly criticised the Holy See, accusing it of being a primary facilitator of the scandals - effectively blaming Rome for Ireland's problem.

According to the Irish Examiner, it seems that one of Diarmuid Martin's main fears concerning a Papal visit to Ireland in June is that it may lead to protests by those opposed to the Church, which would then detract from the whole purpose of the Congress. It appears that this is a fear shared by some of Martin's brother bishops in the Irish hierarchy. But these concerns fail to acknowledge the reality of the situation. I am confident that most Irish people know that the blame for clerical child abuse does not rest with Pope Benedict XVI, who has done more than anyone else to remove the filth that has infected the Catholic Church in recent times. The people of Ireland are not naïve.

I believe that Archbishop Martin's cautionary words also display a certain lack of trust in God's grace and in the ability of the Successor of St Peter to transform negative situations into positive ones. Before the Pope's visit to the UK in 2010, it is true to say that many within the Church's hierarchy feared the worst - so much so that at times it even appeared as if some bishops couldn't be bothered to support the Papal visit. Yet, when the prophets of doom in the media and the Church were confounded by the success of Pope Benedict XVI's visit and by the sheer numbers of faithful Catholics and others who came out to greet the Holy Father, they were the first ones to stress that they had always known it would go well! Such is life. Such is politics.

To be fair, when speaking on RTÉ Radio, Dr Martin actually said that he hoped the Pope would visit Ireland one day. He then went on, though, to seemingly dampen any welcome by basically suggesting that the Holy Father shouldn't attend the Eucharistic Congress, as the timing would be wrong. Referring to the clerical child abuse scandals that have hit Irish Catholicism in recent years, the Archbishop of Dublin cautioned that the Church was not yet "at that stage" whereby a Papal visit would "fit into the overall timetable of the renewal of the Church in Ireland."

The Archbishop of Dublin went on to say that the Holy Father himself had suggested that any visit by him would have to take into consideration the state of the Irish Church before it could bear effective fruit. In publicly stating that the Church has not yet reformed herself sufficiently to deal with a Papal visit, it seems that Diarmuid Martin's comments during his interview on RTÉ suggest that he would rather the Pope did not attend the 50th Eucharistic Congress in June. What Dr Martin appeared to be saying was: the Pope is welcome to visit Ireland, but not yet.

Having said all that, it seems that the Primate of All Ireland and the Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Seán Brady, actually contradicted the Archbishop of Dublin during a separate interview on Wednesday - in which he stated that the timing is right for a Papal visit to Ireland.

Speaking to the Irish Catholic in Rome, Cardinal Brady's spoke some words that contrast those offered by Diarmuid Martin. Brady told the newspaper that he heard Archbishop Martin's comments concerning any possible visit by the Pope to Ireland. He then went on to offer a different view to that given by the Archbishop of Dublin. Here is what he said: "My hope is that the Pope will come. I was listening to Archbishop Martin at the weekend about whether the moment is right or not. My hope is that the moment would be right."

Cardinal Brady went on, though, to state that he had not been given any indication by the Vatican as to whether or not the Pope would be attending the Eucharistic Congress, or if the Holy Father has any other plans to visit Ireland later in the year.

It seems that a difference in attitude has opened in the Irish Church. It is a division between those, like Brady, who appear to hold onto that Christian attitude of optimism, and those, like Martin, who seem more concerned with public opinion and the political spirit of the age. Is it any wonder, then, that Pope Benedict chose to raise Seán Brady to the cardinalate, whilst the red hat has not yet been offered to Martin?

It seems to me that the Pope is still actively considering attending the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Dublin this June. If he were not, I am sure that Rome would have clarified the situation by now. The fact that there are only four months left before the Congress and that the Pope hasn't ruled out a visit to Ireland this year seems encouraging to me. I may be wrong, of course.

In the past, Pope Benedict XVI has often travelled to shrines or events in Italy that only involve a short journey from Rome. Like his predecessors, he has sometimes made visits that only last a few hours or an afternoon. In that sense, and seeing that Rome is only a three-hour flight from Dublin, I can see no reason whatsoever why the Holy Father could not visit Ireland just for the Eucharistic Congress's closing ceremony. In so doing, costs would be kept to the minimum, unjust and angry protests would be contained within a specific time-frame, and - more importantly - the Irish people would have the opportunity to see and hear the Successor of St Peter on their soil.

It is undeniable that the Pope feels a close attachment to the people of Éire, and that his presence as Vicar of Jesus Christ is something that can turn negative situations into positive ones. Having the Pope present for few short hours in Dublin would bring about more healing to the Church and people of Ireland than can be achieved through decades of apologies and attempts at reconciliation by the Irish Church's own hierarchy.

Unlike some in the episcopacy, Pope Benedict XVI is not so much concerned by image or politics, by media representations or unjust anti-Papal vitriol. His primary concern is the care of that flock of sinners and saints which Christ Jesus has entrusted into his care. For that reason, then, I believe that the Pope may very well surprise the prophets of doom by turning up for the closing liturgy of the 50th Eucharistic Congress to be held on 17 June in Dublin's Croke Park Stadium. If he does, Ireland will rejoice, despite the pessimism of that nation's leaders - ecclesiastical or otherwise.