The papal visit: Changing tides

Ireland has changed monumentally since the previous papal visit in 1979. There have been seismic shifts in the country over the past 40 years that will impact the reaction of the papal visit next week.

The response to the 1979 visit was huge. An estimated 2.7 million people attended at a time when the Catholic Church still reigned supreme in Ireland.

With an estimated 93% Catholic population in 1981 compared with 78% in 2016, it is difficult to imagine that being repeated.

Referenda had a huge impact in showing the new, more liberal Ireland. 2015 showcased our attitude towards same-sex civil marriage when we allowed it into law. Just a couple of months ago, we demonstrated an overwhelming amount of support for repealing the Eighth Amendment.

The decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993 and divorce in 1995 also showed a change in perceptions and attitudes, not to mention the fact that contraception was legalised in 1980, not long after the previous papal visit.

All of these shifts in public attitude along with scandals from inside the walls of the Catholic Church have led to a new, more progressive Ireland.

Catholic clerical abuse scandals also played a huge role in Ireland’s increasingly secular population.

The brunt of these scandals were revealed from the late 1980s onwards. Several people have spoken out about the Pope meeting with some of the survivors during his time in Ireland, but as of yet, there have been no official announcements made about such a meeting.

The ripples from the 1979 visit could be felt across the nation. The 2018 visit might find it a bit more difficult to have the same impact on the growing secular Irish nation.