The best way for Irish people to pay tribute to the late Pope John Paul II is by "unflinchingly" moving forward with the peace process and by "putting aside forever and on every side all ambiguities about violence", the Archbishop of Dublin has said.
In his homily to a packed Pro Cathedral in Dublin during a Solemn Mass of Remembrance for the Pope this evening, Dr Diarmuid Martin recalled the Pope's words on his visit to Drogheda in 1979: "Violence is a lie; violence destroys what it claims to defend, the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings."
Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin
"How should we engage with those words today? We can render tribute to Pope John Paul by unflinchingly moving forward with the peace process, putting aside for ever and on every side all ambiguities about violence. We can work to build up understanding between the various communities in Northern Ireland, but also between North and South," the Archbishop said.
"But if we want to pay tribute to the Pope's words on violence, we must also look at other forms of violence in society.
"In the last three months two men have been found murdered within one hundred yards of my home. Yes, the number of murders in Ireland is less than in other countries, but we cannot be happy with the level of violence in our society. There is violence in homes, violence against children, violence against immigrants, violence against gay and lesbian people, and violence even against the old simply because they are weak.
"There is the arrogant violence of those who wish to further impose a power won by the cynical exploitation of human life through the drug trade.
"The fight against violence is not just a question of law enforcement. It is a question of building up communities which stand for life."
The Archbishop remembered, "a great and extraordinary figure, a spiritual leader, a holy man, a figure who changed history literally, a wise man of God who through his commitment to the truth and love of Jesus challenged all of us in our choices for more than twenty six years, a tender man who in his last weeks of suffering touched the whole world, touched all of us all and won so many hearts".
Dr Martin said John Paul II was a pope of so many remarkable achievements, including his commitment to a vision of Europe - "not just one where the wall of communism had been broken down, but one where peoples and nations could freely take their rightful place in constructing a Europe of the future".
"I have many personal memories of my own, of events large and small, of great leadership and of personal kindness and thoughtfulness, of the man who ordained me bishop and asked me to become Archbishop of Dublin."
Dr Martin also reflected on social changes in Ireland, which Pope John Paul II referred to in his address to the current Irish Ambassador to the Holy See.
"He talked about our success and aspirations to be a profoundly modern society within the family of European nations, about our remarkable economic growth. The Ireland I returned to is a different Ireland, but it is a better Ireland, and it has the potential to be even better. The challenge for us is to ensure that that improvement reaches all."
He said the last thing Pope John Paul would have wanted would have been for people to "get trapped sentimentally in looking back".
"He said to his own collaborators on his death-bed: 'I am happy. You should also be happy.' He was always looking to the future," Dr Martin said.
Dr Martin recalled Pope John Paul II's words to him when he returned to Dublin about 18 months ago.
" Tu torni al tuo paese: you return to your own county, but you return to a different Ireland. The Pope remembered his visit to Ireland. But his concern and interest in that conversation with me was not about the past; it was about Ireland today and tomorrow.
"He was concerned for the situation of faith in Ireland. He was concerned about Irish society in the future. I am sure today he would not want an Ireland looking back nostalgically at his visit, but looking forward, realistically but with courage and hope, to the future."
Among those in attendance were the President Mary McAleese, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Michael Conaghan, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of other churches.
Hundreds of people were left outside the Pro Cathedral as the the mass got underway.
The cathedral in Dublin's city centre was packed to capacity and many people queuing behind crush barriers outside were disappointed not to gain entry. Some became irritated with gardai attempting to keep order in the queue.
The President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin arrived shortly before the service began at 5.45pm.
Outside, those unlucky not to gain entry to the cathedral included Caitriona O'Brien from Dublin and Joan O'Neill from Sutton, Co Dublin.
Ms O'Neill said she had come to pray for the soul of the Pope and to "show my appreciation of all his teachings".
She agreed with comments by Archbishop Sean Brady today that Pope John Paul II should be canonised.