To think this behaviour regarding Pope's visit to Ireland is despicable

[user1485342611]

The Pope is visiting Ireland in August and two public Masses will be held. For Health and Safety reasons numbers attending have to be limited so free tickets are being allocated, on line, on a first come first served basis.

People who object to his visit are deliberately buying up thousands of tickets, booking in fake coach tours etc to ensure a low turn out and, in the process, deny tickets to those who want to attend.

AIBU to think that, whatever your religious beliefs, this is petty, vindictive, intolerant and downright despicable behaviour>

This is an expression of many years of suppressed anger and bitterness from a population sick of the fake piety that they endured for decades.
No one has been killed.
Some have been inconvenienced in their desire to see a spiritual leader.
In comparison to the callous cruelty of the church over the years in Ireland, it doesn't even come close.
And as for freedom of expression...not a concept very high on the agenda of the Church from what I gather. It is a protest that those who are involved in are entitled to. It might seem peevish but then that is the tone of sentiments at the moment in ireland.

@Atlastatlastatlast you aren't the arbitrator of other people's protests. Maybe they don't want to be dignified and courageous. Maybe they just want to signal their disgust.

Atlast is perfectly entitled to a view on this 'protest' MrsTerrPratchett and her view is far more reflective of the general Irish public than the views being expressed on here.

It's not a protest, it's sabotage which is a very different thing. At least call it what it is and stop hiding behind other terms.

Most people I know who've turned away from (the church) just treat it with a detached indifference

Obviously it depends on why an individual's turned away, but with those who've done so because of the many evils the church has committed, I'd find such an attitude disappointing at best

I can't quite see how detachment and indifference are an appropriate response when you've discovered such behaviour within something you've supported - unless of course you're of the mindset which would prefer it all to be swept under the carpet

It's not a protest, it's sabotage which is a very different thing. At least call it what it is and stop hiding behind other terms.

Protesting something by legally and peaceful trying to sabotage it is a perfectly acceptable and normal part of many 'demonstrations'.

It is essentially a mass no seating protest, if the Pope doesn't like it then he could easily change the ticking system to stop it. For some reason he seems happy to allow it to happen so I am happy to oblige.

When you believe the Catholic church is a corrupt and abusive organisation them it is fair and legitimate to protest in ANY peaceful and legal way to highlight this. So trying to stop the protest is colluding with a corrupt and abusive institution.

Sabotaging an advertising event for an organization which colluded with and covered up massive abuses sounds fine by me.

Lest we forget...

"According to a 2004 research study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 4,392 Catholic priests and deacons in active ministry between 1950 and 2002 have been plausibly (neither withdrawn nor disproven) accused by 10,667 individuals of the sexual abuse of a youth under the age of 18" chances are massively more children were abused because child abusers tend to abuse multiple children.

Magdalene laundries.

HIV AIDS in africa.

Liberation theologians being thrown under the bus in the Americas. Actually Francis is starting to look good on this matter but protest helps focus the mind.

This is not by any means a comprehensive list. It doesn't even begin to cover it. And comparing it to protesting Socialist Workers Party meeting? How ridiculous! This is the actual leader of the actual organization which did the harm. People protest Trump and Xi Jinping. Why shouldn't they protest the Pope's visits? I'd argue that the Catholic Church has done a comparable amount of harm.

Pope Francis is a lovely man - very enlightened (for a pontiff).

If what you report is true, it is a spiteful and dog-in-the-manger-ish thing to do.

(BTW - I am Anglican, not RC, but I still think Pope Francis is a lovely man)

Yes I think it's spiteful as well.

But some people think their hatred of the Church (maybe for personal reasons) entitles them to shout down the many people who still see beyond the corrupt individuals in the Catholic Church to the spiritual tenets at its heart.

I think they resent the fact that there are those who want to learn from the past and move on to create a better and more Christian Church. They're just so filled with resentment that they're hitting out blindly at everyone. There was an excellent article in the Irish Independent during the week that really spelled out who these people are really penalising.

"Protesting something by legally and peaceful trying to sabotage it is a perfectly acceptable and normal part of many 'demonstrations'.
It is essentially a mass no seating protest, if the Pope doesn't like it then he could easily change the ticking system to stop it. For some reason he seems happy to allow it to happen so I am happy to oblige."

You cannot peacefully sabotage something. Sabotage is an act of trying to disrupt and destroy something.

I don't think the Pope is even aware of it, never mind getting involved in the ticket system. Your post doesn't actually make any sense and to be honest you seem to be in denial regarding your actions. You don't directly respond to any criticisms of your actions, you just constantly talk around them and start threatening to buy up more tickets if anyone upsets you.

I seriously think you need to stop and really think about what you're doing. You're only really fuelling your own anger while life goes on around you.

entitles them to shout down the many people
No shouting involved, its a silent protest.

many people who still see beyond the corrupt individuals in the Catholic Church

Or the many people who are blind to the corruption in the Catholic Church.

They're just so filled with resentment that they're hitting out blindly at everyone.

Nope, just hitting out at the Catholic Church.

You cannot peacefully sabotage something

Yes you can, there is NO violence being used in this protest what so ever!

I don't think the Pope is even aware of it

That is part of the problem, the Pope takes no responsibility for the actions of the Church, he seems oblivious to what is done in its name.

You're only really fuelling your own anger
I am not angry? Its a rational judgement to stand up for what is good and right and try and stop injustices, abuses and corruption. Wasn't it a preacher who first said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

Would you prefer this form of protest, OP? Baby Trump
Just out of interest, what would be acceptable? An angry crowd, maybe with pictures of baby corpses from the Tuam laundry (like the anti-choice brigade had of foetuses before the referendum). Thousands of people picketing the Phoenix park and Knock so that the devout can't attend? Protests have to be disruptive to be effective.

Pope Francis is a lovely man - very enlightened (for a pontiff)...(BTW - I am Anglican, not RC, but I still think Pope Francis is a lovely man)

Me too. I'm hoping he'll surprise everyone, gently, by being amazing.

I agree that Pope Francis appears to be very genuine, and also very humble. But in his position, he needs to be prepared to face people's anger against the Catholic Church. Because, in his role, he represents that corrupt organisation. If he's as genuine as he appears to be, then he will respond graciously, understanding that the anger is justified.

It would be no bad thing for him to see just how angry people are, so on that basis I think this protest does make the point.

He seems lovely. And isn't that interesting. Magically when the church is mired in shit, a lovely Pope appears. It's almost like the church has a PR department. He's still anti abortion of course, I mean women's rights? Pfft. Seriously!

He's not popular with the conservative branch of the Catholic Church, though, he's definitely ruffled a few feathers with his approach to things. He's very different to previous Popes, the first from Latin America.

Absolutely fascinating to see the many comments about this apparently "good guy" pope

Has nobody read about the lies and twisting over Juan Barros and Fernando Karadima ... or seen what happened at Bernard Law's funeral ... or noticed what became of the abuse victims who served on the much-touted Commission for the Protection of Minors? Is it really possible to see these things and more - recent things and on his watch - and then believe that Francis is any different at all?

Pope Francis appears to be very genuine Unfortunately religion can make good people do very bad things.

Your posts are getting increasingly bizarre Walkingdead. It's actually quite hard to take you seriously at this stage.

Lizzie I agree that it is important that the Vatican realise just how angry many people are with how some of those representing the Church have treated its members. But this sabotage is not something that the vast majority of Irish people, practising Catholics, non practising Catholics and people who fall somewhere in between want. But some individuals don't care about that, it's all about what they want to do, and what makes them feel better, and they don't care how many innocent people they're upsetting in the process. They're just not listening, and are barging ahead regardless.

The person who actually instigated all this has publicly admitted that he now feels bad about it. The media are disgusted by it. People talking about it in workplaces and in the pub think it's petty and nasty.

But no, a tiny minority of people still insist this is what they want to do, so everyone else can sod off.

Those people don't stand for tolerance. They stand for bitterness and blind intolerance.

user1485342611 I am afraid your posts seem to have increasingly stuck your head further in the sand about the abuse and corruption in the catholic church. Its hard to take you seriously when your morality is stuck in the dark ages. You seem to be anti protest and refuse to debate the actual substance of posters problem with the Pope and the catholic church.

Where are you apologies for the abuse? Where are your explanations about what has changed? and what is changing? Where is your condemnation of the priests and the corrupt structures/people? Where is your demands to let the police investigate? All you seem to be demanding is that the Pope be shielded from protest.

Sadly all I can conclude is that this sort of cover up is exactly why the church has been allowed to commit the crimes it has committed.

User of all the posters on this thread whether they support this protest or object to it you are the stand out poster who is coming across as intolerant of any views differing from your own.

There's nothing bizzare in WakingDead's posts but you're starting to come across as unhinged the more you post.

Is the pope coming with his wife, or is it a lads trip? Like a sort of stag do to Dublin with a mass thrown in

I'd love to see protests go further. I hav

YANBU. Shitty behaviour.

When the previous Pope visited Sydney, in the middle of revelations about massive cover up of catholic church child abuse in oz, thousands of people protested by wearing "The Pope touched me...Down Under" t-shirts.

"The Pope touched me...Down Under" t-shirts

Now that is funny (obviously in a sick way), is that true?