If the Pope visited..

Lord Trollington

The last time he visited, Pope John Paul attracted almost 1million People in Phoenix park, 300,000 in Limerick and Galway.

Its rumoured that Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting Ireland next year.

If he does will you attend his visit, if you do will it be in support or to protest?

How many would attend in your opinion 1million in 1979, how much have we changed since then?

admiralofthefleet

if it visits it should be arrested for covering up decades of child abuse, tried and then deported

foxyboxer

I would be completely indifferent and carry on as usual. Just like when Barry and Liz came over.

MrStuffins

You'd easily get 1m people alright.

Irish people love a good protest!

efb

The Knights of Columbanus would love it!

force eleven

You'd still get huge crowds,but nowhere near the figures of '79. He might sell out the 02 though. Or Whelans.

Cianos

Probably hundreds of thousands will show up and it'll be deemed a great success.

The_Kew_Tour

You would have all the Celtic fans out in force anyway with them being such a holy bunch and all that;)

Turtyturd

I'd go purely to see him landing in an Imperial Shuttle.

yermanoffthetv

About three'fiddy.

seamus

I'd say you still might get a million people or close to it. But that would probably be the ceiling. You'll get plenty of people going along just to see it, regardless of their beliefs.

However, you need to consider that in 1979 the population of Ireland was 3,368,217, whereas this year it was counted at 4,581,269.

So a million people next year would be a drop in attendance of more than 25%.

Two things worth considering are that many of the immigrants who've moved to Ireland over the last 15 years would be quite Catholic, Poles in particular, which will bolster the figures a bit. And also that any visit of the Pope would also involve something which was not seen the last time: Protests. Huge, loud and visible protests against the Pope.

If nothing else it will be interesting to see what it does bring. The Ireland of 2011 looks nothing like the Ireland of 1979, in religious terms anyway.

bijapos

I was always under the impression that the Catholic Church totally exaggerated those figures in 1979 to prove how powerful they were. If you totalled the numbers who went to see him it meant that everyone in the country saw him at least once which is total boll0x.

A couple of hundred thousand would show up to see him, maybe more if its a one off event. If he decided to apologise for the Vatican covering up decades of child abuse he would get a good few more.

Dotrel

Turtyturd wrote: »

I'd go purely to see him landing in an Imperial Shuttle.

The Pope always draws a big crowd, and well dressed too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmc6tR2V1Vc

later12

bijapos wrote: »

I was always under the impression that the Catholic Church totally exaggerated those figures in 1979 to prove how powerful they were. If you totalled the numbers who went to see him it meant that everyone in the country saw him at least once which is total boll0x.

A lot of the diaspora would have travelled back to Ireland from the UK, as well as British Catholics, since he only visited Ireland and not the U.K.

As well as this, I'm not sure the Roman Catholic Church needed to invent figures to prove how extensive their influence was over the country, their influence really was that massive.

I'd imagine the figures are reasonably accurate alright.

However, given the worsening diplomatic relations between Ireland and The Holy See (worsening in a diplomatic way, but nevertheless...) I don't think there's a chance in Hell of the Pope going to Ireland in the foreseeable future.

opinion guy

seamus wrote: »

If nothing else it will be interesting to see what it does bring. The Ireland of 2009 looks nothing like the Ireland of 1979, in religious terms anyway.

!?
Its 2009 again ? Christ how much did I drink this weekend ?:eek:

Logical Fallacy

force eleven wrote: »

You'd still get huge crowds,but nowhere near the figures of '79. He might sell out the 02 though. Or Whelans.

I think if he did an acoustic set in Whelans it would go down a treat.

JerryHandbag

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

I think if he did an acoustic set in Whelans it would go down a treat.

His predecessor knew how to work a crowd

the groutch

Angela's just sending him over to campaign for the new Treaty, nothing to get excited about.

Seachmall

Anyone know what the story is regarding the charges that were presented in The Hague this year is? Or is the case still ongoing?

If the Pope came here I'd love for him to be arrested, justice is justice regardless of the politics involved.

Turtyturd

JerryHandbag wrote: »

His predecessor knew how to work a crowd

So did his master

Dotrel

Turtyturd wrote: »

So did his master

Nuremberg '34. What a gig! I still have the ticket.

gigino

schhhhhh ! Actung. he does not wear the swastika on his arm anymore.

Dotrel

gigino wrote: »

schhhhhh ! Actung. he does not wear the swastika on his arm anymore.

I've heard he still has them on his unterhosen tho.

Yakult

Wont support nor protest.

Huge waste of tax payers money tho.

Deus Ex Machina

He's always had an evil, Darth Sidious look about him. At least with JP there was a kind exterior to the church's wickedness. Good ol' Benny is just too villainous looking, too easily associated with repression and the clandestine fumblings of cadaverous hands in the darkness. I doubt he'd be anywhere near as big a draw as his kindly predecessor.

Turtyturd

Dotrel wrote: »

Nuremberg '34. What a gig! I still have the ticket.

I think of it as the start of him selling out.

Dotrel

Turtyturd wrote: »

I think of it as the start of him selling out.

Nah, like the Beatles he did his best work once he stopped touring.

FouxDaFaFa

I'm surprisingly myself by saying this but I would probably go to protest. Not against religion, but against him specifically and the Catholic church as an organisation.

John Doe1

If the pope visited, id ask a few of my uncles friends from the orange lodge to come down and start booing and throwing projectiles at him:D

ejmaztec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iifhkMcsQIM

dilbert2

Lord Trollington wrote: »

The last time he visited, Pope John Paul attracted almost 1million People in Phoenix park, 300,000 in Limerick and Galway.

Its rumoured that Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting Ireland next year.

If he does will you attend his visit, if you do will it be in support or to protest?

How many would attend in your opinion 1million in 1979, how much have we changed since then?

Mothers, lock up your sons, the pope is coming to town.

ScumLord

If the pope came I'd dress as Satan and follow him around to applaud and support the evilness of the Catholic church.

padd b1975

John Doe1 wrote: »

If the pope visited, id ask a few of my uncles friends from the orange lodge to come down and start booing and throwing projectiles at him:D

It would be just like "love Ulster"

Wattle

Well we won't have Bishop Casey working the crowd this time.

OldGoat

On the last papel visit I went to the Galway event. I met up with a fine upstanding young catholic girl and inevitably we rutted the day/night away in my tent. Next day, the actual day of the (cue angelic chorus) Youth Mass, I drank too and slept through the whole event much in a haystack a few fields over from the site.

As far as I could tell there were 6 people in the front row who were actually religious. The rest of us were there for poops and giggles.

I'd go again if I could re-create that experience, twas awesome.

smash

It'd be great to have a flash mob of storm troopers show up for the popes visit and all kneel to him as he passes.

Zebra3

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

if it visits it should be arrested for covering up decades of child abuse, tried and then deported

At a guess, he has diplomatic immunity. :rolleyes:

ScumLord

smash wrote: »

It'd be great to have a flash mob of storm troopers show up for the popes visit and all kneel to him as he passes.

It could be the worlds largest "come as someone evil" fancy dress party.

Manach

Whilst I would welcome the Pope's pastoral visit and the tourism boost it would bring, as shown in the World Youth Day, the Government has declined to invite his Holiness -. Still, to paraphrase Kipling based on this thread - Ireland's second religion is hate.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Mr. Ratzinger can come and go as he pleases. That said, I think that the Church should pay for the expenses and not the State. He is the head of a rligion here to preach, not a head of state here to discuss politics or econmics.

Seachmall

ScumLord wrote: »

It could be the worlds largest "come as someone evil" fancy dress party.

Epic Idea.

Mr Trade In

The government would spend a sh1t load of money,call what ever day he got here a holy day, give his brother a bunch of deaf choir boys and tell everyone to get out and goose step for herr pope.

DEFTLEFTHAND

OldGoat wrote: »

On the last papel visit I went to the Galway event. I met up with a fine upstanding young catholic girl and inevitably we rutted the day/night away in my tent. Next day, the actual day of the (cue angelic chorus) Youth Mass, I drank too and slept through the whole event much in a haystack a few fields over from the site.

As far as I could tell there were 6 people in the front row who were actually religious. The rest of us were there for poops and giggles.

I'd go again if I could re-create that experience, twas awesome.

Sounds like the Irish equivalent of Woodstock.:D

Zebra3

Manach wrote: »

Whilst I would welcome the Pope's pastoral visit and the tourism boost it would bring, as shown in the World Youth Day, the Government has declined to invite his Holiness -. Still, to paraphrase Kipling based on this thread - Ireland's second religion is hate.

Yep, Ireland and its crazy hatred of child rapists and their protectors.

Mad, isn't it?

:rolleyes:

padd b1975

Wattle wrote: »

Well we won't have Bishop Casey working the crowd this time.

Ditto Micheal Cleary. His son
might go.

smash

Manach wrote: »

and the tourism boost it would bring

Do you think people would come to Ireland to see the pope?

gigino

smash wrote: »

Do you think people would come to Ireland to see the pope?

In the front row there would be 2 priests, Gerald Fits Simon and Simon Fits Gerald.

Every else would be there to give him a hitler salute ( at least he'd know how to give one back ) as a thanks for all the abuse and cover ups by his organisation in Ireland.

I Heart Internet

I'd go to see him, yeah. It'd be very interesting to hear what he has to say on Irish soil.

He's been to Ireland before as a cardinal....at least once I think.

Having read a small bit of his writings over the years - I like the man.

As for paying for it - if he's invited by the government (unlikely I'd say) then the government would pay the bulk of the costs. If (as has been mentioned in the media) he comes simply as a religious leader than he'd cover his own costs I suppose...or rather, the local church should.

Expect he'd get a decent crowd. People are very curious and generally like an event.

Seachmall

If he did come, which he probably wouldn't, I'd expect him to completely ignore the abuse scandal which would be a huge slap in the face to the Irish people and the victims in particular.

If he did address, which he wouldn't, he certainly wouldn't apologise which would break (or set) the world record for the number of people simultaneously booing.

chucken1

OldGoat wrote: »

On the last papel visit I went to the Galway event. I met up with a fine upstanding young catholic girl and inevitably we rutted the day/night away in my tent. Next day, the actual day of the (cue angelic chorus) Youth Mass, I drank too and slept through the whole event much in a haystack a few fields over from the site.

As far as I could tell there were 6 people in the front row who were actually religious. The rest of us were there for poops and giggles.

I'd go again if I could re-create that experience, twas awesome.

:eek: I was there too. Please tell me you're not from Cavan?

My day pretty much mirrored yours :pac:

Great fun was had by all :cool:

smash

chucken1 wrote: »

:eek: I was there too. Please tell me you're not from Cavan?

My day pretty much mirrored yours :pac:

I just had a vision of a goat fúcking a chicken!