The first events of the Catholic Church's World Meeting of Families get underway in Dublin today.
They conclude with a two-day visit to Ireland by the Pope this weekend.
Last night, bells rang out in all 26 dioceses across the country to mark the start of the World Meeting of Families.
It begins today with a three-day pastoral congress at Dublin's RDS which includes discussions, workshops and prayerful activities.
It's all ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis this weekend, which will see him visit the likes of Croke Park and Knock Shrine before saying mass for half a million people at the Phoenix Park.
The pontiff has released a message ahead of his trip here:
"As I prepare to visit Ireland in a few days for the World Meeting of Families, I send a warm word of greeting to all the Irish people. As you know the World Meeting is a celebration of the beauty of God's plan for the family."
Once he arrives, the pope will be under pressure to apologise to victims of clerical sex abuse.
The Pontiff has agreed to meet victims of clerical sex abuse while he is here - but survivors say they want more than just words.
Peter Mulryan's mother was locked up in a church-run Magdalene Laundry for 30 years, he says he has waited a lifetime for a Papal apology.
"I want to hear him loud and clear and to recognise that he understands what the church has done to the citizens of this country. What it has done to them, to the vulnerable people," said Mr Mulryan.
Yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called for mandatory reporting of sex crimes within the church.
#wmof2018 has officially begun! We are delighted after some many months of preparation. We hope this will be an amazing week for Ireland and for all the pilgrims that are joining us from all over the world. pic.twitter.com/F85fb2Jq51
— WMOF2018 (@WMOF2018) August 21, 2018
Meanwhile, campaigners say the Catholic church needs to stop stigmatising LGBT people.
The 'Equal Future 2018' coalition says LGBT families have been 'made invisible' at the World Meeting of Families due to church intolerance.
The campaign includes Catholic LGBT groups around the world.
Spokesperson Tiernan Brady says the church can do untold damage to LGBT young people: "Whether you are a person of faith or whether you aren't, you still feel the impact of the church when it makes statements and rulings and teachings about LGBT people."
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