The Pope's coming..

[Amber76]

If the Pope was going to be in our town next Saturday i don't think i'd bother to go. I've no interest in what he might have to say. But will people turn out in their droves to see him?

It'll be interesting to look at how society has changed since 1979 and the proposed visit in 2018. Haven't we changed??!

We certainly have changed greatly but I think there will be a good turn out for this pope too. He seems to be very more progressive than his predecessor and I think there is a fair bit of warmth for him among the late thirty somethings. That said I think it will be kept fairly low key so that he is not playing to empty stadiums so to speak!

It's going to be an interesting 2018.

At the moment it looks like the Citizens Assembly will recommend another referendum on the 8th Amendment to the Constitution to take place sometime in 2018, the very same year that the head of the Catholic Church is to pop over for a visit.

If the visit happens before the referendum, some will think that the visit influenced the vote (if the 8th isn't repealed) so when should the referendum take place?

Very interesting year and we haven't even dipped our toes into 2017 yet!

If I go it will be to protest about his visit. I just think he's a PR exercise for the church.

It's a disgusting attempt to try and interfere with a potential referendum on the repealing of the 8th amendment by dragging in the Jackboot of Rome.

This is a bit morbid (but he's relatively old), if he dies between now and the proposed visit does the next fellah just show up? But I also pondered how different it would be to the Phoenix park visit. Tumbleweed ?

I'd love to see him, I've got a lot of respect for this Pope, best one ever!

My brother is one of the vast raft of John Pauls from 1979. Somehow I can't anticipate a slew of baby Francises....