...the very second headline on The Irish Times's coverage of the Eucharistic Congress-- after "12,000 Attend Eucharistic Congress"-- is "Protests greet start of Congress".
The misleading nature of the headline is revealed immediately below it:
"A number of small protests were staged at entrances to the Eucharistic Congress at Dublin's RDS today. Separate
protests were staged by abuse survivors, a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and
Transgender (LGBT) group, Atheist Ireland and a parent and former Dublin
school board member who wants his school named after someone other than
former arcbishop of Dublin Dermot Ryan."
In other words, with the possible exception of the abuse victims (and what more can the Church do at this stage, really?), the usual Church-bashers and cranks. Twelve thousand worshippers given almost-equal billing with an undisclosed number-- how likely is it that you could fit them into a couple of phone booths?-- of embittered busybodies.
Undoubtedly there are protests outside the various political party conferences (I don't know the plural of Ard Fheis), as well as the conferences of trade unions and other interest groups. Do those protests merit such a prominent mention?
But, you know, everybody thinks the media is against them and Catholics are just shooting the messenger. Keep repeating the mantra, boys, and hope that makes everyone believe it.
If Pope Benedict slipped in the bath and suffered a minor injury, the Irish media would manage to get child abuse into a four-line report of the accident.
(P.S.: I should mention that this refers to the online edition of The Irish Times.)
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ReplyDeleteI was there today. No more than a dozen activists from different groups were protesting.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that they were at the wrong entrance, on the Anglesea road, so almost noone noted them. Nobody could care less, apart from The Irish Times, RTE and the usual suspects.
Just as I suspected!!
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