Indeed. What a difference 39 years makes.
The significantly reduced numbers coupled with significantly increased racial diversity clearly reflects how our little country has progressed in social, political, economic and cultural terms. The current day division between Church and State was underlined by Pope Francis in his opening speech at Dublin Castle on Saturday as he criticised the way the Irish State and the Irish people - 78% of whom profess to be Roman Catholic - have failed to protect the poor and the unborn. Notably, he stopped short of addressing our enshrining the rights of homosexuals in law. As a reforming Pope maybe he can envisage similar changes to Roman Catholic doctrines noting that the LBGT crowd were allowed participate in the Phoenix Park Mass, being part of the gifts procession.
