So, who's going to see the Pope??

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I was amazed when mil wondered aloud who would be bothered going to see him when she can have it on the telly while she's getting things done at home. Only one of her friends is making the trek (from the Midlands so easy enough to get there for the committed). It'll be interesting to see how many show up at the two events, it wouldn't surprise me if more end up in Knock. And apparently there's a temporary morgue set up in the Phoenix Park so that's hopeful.

Croke Park looked amazing. I missed a lot of it as I was out but I saw and cried at Nathan Carter's preformance. The little kids signing, adorable.

It's a pity the weather isn't better for those who went to the park.

It lashed in Knock too. That's where I was. I feel like it should be bed time now.

I think the RC cult should be dissoluted like Henry VII did to the monasteries, the numerous properties should be used for housing, money give to the millions of abused victims and the rest to the NHS.

Really nasty organisation similar to the Italian mafia

The organisers didn't get the 500k they were expecting, there's a lot of space in a lot of the pens.

I dont believe that going to see the pope means you condone child abuse.

You don't have to believe it, and nobody thinks for one second that those attending actually condone it. However by attending an event in support of the man who is covering up child abuse and protecting abusers, that is what they are doing. There is no other way of looking at supporting a man who is actively covering for paedophiles. It tells him that you are ok with what he is doing and he doesn't have to change in order to keep your support. When the reality is that if you don't make your support conditional on him not cover-ing up child abuse and protecting abusers, you are supporting him in doing that.

Be Catholic, love your faith if that is important to you. But if you don't make the leaders of the religion know that you will only follow them if they stop committing some of the worst crimes in human history, then you are letting them get away with it and complicit yourself. That's just a fact.

Thankfully the crowds are clearly, way, way, way lower than expected and this whole visit has been an absolutely PR disaster no matter how they spin it.

But if you don't make the leaders of the religion know that you will only follow them if they stop committing some of the worst crimes in human history, then you are letting them get away with it and complicit yourself. That's just a fact.

^ This 100%

Good to see thousands turned out to support the Stand4Truth protest at the Garden of Remembrance

www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/update-thousands-gather-at-stand4truth-protest-in-garden-of-remembrance-864575.html

Gardaí have put figures at under 130,000 at the Phoenix Park mass. For contrast over 120,000 people came out in Limerick on Monday night to greet the All-Ireland winning hurlers. (At 24 hours notice.)

I was finding this visit quite traumatic for various reasons and have actually shed tears of relief at how the visit has gone after all. It was first planned as a spoke in the wheel of the Repeal referendum which was believed to be due in Nov 18. Instead, not only was that made null by the earlier referendum date, but it's as clear a sign as any that the church has no real pull with the population and will be the sign many populist politicians needed to start making more steps toward secularisation of important public services like health and education.

www.thejournal.ie/papal-mass-phoenix-park-crowd-size-4202680-Aug2018/

So, RTE is still a bit nervous of the church then. They don't mention the total attendance numbers, only the number of tickets available, all the photos are close ups of densely crowded areas and any arial shots are cropped to the area close to the stage. Here The closest they come to mentioning the under-attendance is referring to 'tens of thousands' rather than 'hundreds of thousands'.

For thoes saying about child abuse. He did address this. I am hoping going forward he will make sure the perpetrators of these acts are dealt with within the full extent of the law.

Do you pay money to watch Hollywood films? Did you know that Hollywood is also hiding a lot of paedophiles who are left alone with Children? Anyone who speaks put is shut down and made to seem unstable and deranged. Does it sound familiar?

I love that ”he did address this” you mean he said something? @iblinkedandiamold

He hasn’t apologized in person to victims, he blamed them for making things up only last year about his Chilean cardinals...
he hasn’t paid compensation to victims...

Why didn’t he go to Tuam?

Address this, my arse.

Just for the curious a picture of himself, in Dublin.
He wasn’t tiny nor far far away, more’s the pity.
#PopeOnARope

The empty seats were addressed on RTE, one of the panellists in the Croke Park Mary Kennedy thing reiterated it quite loudly. I don't know who he was, he was sitting next to Francis Brennan.

Massive gaydar pinging off the two of them, which made me raise my eyebrows considering they were both pretty devout.

I don't know anyone who went. But pretty much everyone I talked to was glued to the TV or had it on in the background all day.

Btw, is Andrea Bocelli sick? He looked horrendous. Hope he's OK, but I was a bit shocked at his appearance.

I don't know what he said when he met the victims yesterday. Do you? I would love to know what was said. He did speak today on Knock about the abuse suffered by everyone at the hands of the Catholic church.
Anyway I'm not even religious, I just brought my mam and I wanted to see if he would mention the abuse at all and he did.
I think it's important and going forward the church makes sure that it never ever happens again.
Now of we just get the judges in Ireland to stop handing put light sentences to child abusers and stop using the term "He was of previous good character." In relation to child abusers.

This pope has actively covered up the abuse, he's up to his neck in it. Empty words from a morally bankrupt pope.

The country is changing. There does need to be complete separation of church and education, health and state.

Let those who want practice their faith and the rest of us get on with our lives without the indoctrination in school and social pressures to conform.

Heard the phrase bouncy castle Catholics today

Liam Neeson is developing a new film about the Tuam babies being dumped in a cesspit.

This is very moving

www.facebook.com/siobhan.m.walsh.5/videos/10155947937313214/

Lots of open spaces

www.facebook.com/paddy.cosgrave/videos/10100202309427454/

Well, according to my cleaner they were only a thousand people short of the full 500,000. I cited newspaper reports and she asked if I had actually watched it because apparently it was obvious that everybody was there. I have accepted her version in the interests of having my house cleaned as she either talks or cleans, not both at the same time.

The event in the Phoenix Park was very badly organised. Loads of people have been on the radio saying the long walk involved and the many hours of standing put a lot of people off, particularly elderly people.

They should have had shuttle buses from the gates and allowed people to bring fold up seats, like last time. I think a lot of people opted to just watch it on television.

Judging by the aerial photos in today’s news, attendance at Phoenix Park was in the tens of thousands, a small fraction of the numbers expected.

Oh dear, what a shame.

Hopefully, if the next papal visit to Ireland takes place 40 years time, the number of people interested in seeing him could be comfortably accommodated in the back room of a small pub.

So, RTE is still a bit nervous of the church then.

Here's your answer - Vincent telling it as it is.

Love vincent.

There's a rather sweet story about Simon Coveney and his daughters meeting the Pope on arrival, and the youngest daughter having to be bribed at the last minute. I think she might end up as a politician, she knows her negotiating strength and when best to use it. Here