“Pope Francis has a special ‘appeal’, he is a sort of global religious star, and his humanity and human warmth attract people. Pope Francis, who is over 80, appears as a modern Pope and people like that”. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said this during a press conference this morning for the presentation of the Festival of Families that will be held at Croke Park, Dublin, on Saturday, 25 August. Mgr. Martin spoke of the Holy Father’s “real talent” in that he knows how to “win hearts for what the teaching of Jesus involves, not through imposing and judging, but through winning and attracting”. Referring to the Irish context, which has changed since Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1979, Mgr. Martin said: “Pope Francis will not perform miracles”; in 36 hours, “he will not be able to define a new roadmap for the Irish Church”, but he will provide us with “the tools necessary to develop a new roadmap”, considering that today’s roadmaps are “interactive and constantly updated”. Pope Francis “will challenge the Irish Church to authentically be a Church in a changed culture”. The Croke Park Festival will be a “celebration of family life” with an impressive programme, featuring thousands of performers, including The Riverdance Troupe, 500 dancers from Irish dance schools, and a 1,000-strong choir. The climax of the event will be the Pope’s address and the testimonies of five families on different aspects of family life.