The Irish president Mary McAleese has discussed an invitation with Pope Benedict to visit Ireland. That would be the first papal visit in Ireland since John Paul II came in 1979, and only the second papal visit ever.
Obviously some Catholics in the North must be getting their hopes up that he’ll come and visit here as well. And the BBC asks the question if he should visit NI. There aren’t too many comments, but the response is mainly positive. As usual some dinosaurs have to rear their ugly heads. Take Gavyn from Belfast for example:
No The Pope should not visit Northern Ireland. If the foreign country (ie Republic of Ireland) want him to visit the ROI then fine go ahead. If The Pope wants to take a visit here then it is up to him to ask the First Minister for permission or else the First Minister must invite him.
or Steve Wright from Belfast:
considering the current political situation is critical in northern ireland, i dont think it would be a good idea for him to visit, and simply irritate the majority of the population, who are firmly against the catholic religion. If hes gona be in Ireland, they know where to go to see him!
Andy from Crossgar:
Let the Irish President invite who she likes to the Republic, but dont start thinking she speaks for the people of Northern Ireland because she certainly doesnt have the support of a mjority of people in Ulster! should the pope come to Northern Ireland….definately not!
And there’s Stephen D:
No the Pope would not be welcome to Northern Ireland at this time and would cause unneeded tensions at this critical time for the country ! Mary McAleese is not the President of Northern Ireland and has no authority over anyone in NI !
Don’t you just love our bigots! Not one of them gives any valid reasons.
How about he shouldn’t visit because of humanist reasons:
- he’s a right-wing chauvinist who denies women their right to do with their bodies as they see fit
- he’s against homosexuals’ basic rights to have sex with and enter a union with whomever they well please
- he’s against contraception and condemns millions of people to get infected with HIV/die of AIDS. Not to forget thousands of teenage pregnancies that could be avoided with contraception
- he’s still covering up for priests that rape little boys and girls
- he’d rather waste millions on living and travelling like a king instead of putting his money where his ‘charitable’ mouth is
And let’s not forget that he thinks the Harry Potter books make kids evil! 
Do I care if he visits? I really couldn’t care less. We have many political and religious nuts here, so one more or less won’t matter.
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