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WHEN THE NEWS arrived on Tuesday that a number of Irish entertainers had been invited to an audience with the Pope, my initial thoughts moved to the iconic image of another Irish entertainer. One who took a rather more defiant approach to a different Pope, on Saturday Night Live back in 1992, when she tore up his likeness on live TV.
How far we have travelled, from a time when our artists had the courage to stand up to Rome rather than become a part of the fawning attitude that surrounds this papacy.
The theatre of the Vatican — the costumes, the rarefied and secretive world of the upper echelons of the Catholic Church, the overwhelming art and architecture — tends to make celebrities and public figures obsequious. From Leonardo DiCaprio to George Clooney, they all line up to bow at the altar of Catholic dominion. When Katy Perry and Ivanka Trump had audiences, they even wore black veils out of respect.
This Friday, Tommy Tiernan, Ardal O’Hanlon and Patrick Kielty will join many other figures from the world of comedy, such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Fallon, for a special audience with the Pope that a Vatican spokesman says will “aim to establish a link between the Catholic Church and comic artists.”
It seems grossly offensive, at best, that an organisation which presided over and aided in the cover up of systemic child abuse could have the audacity to suggest it is now time for some laughs.
Why would a comedian want to establish a ‘link’ with an organisation which they have traditionally satirised? Comedy has always played a hugely significant role in holding power to account, of giving voice to the anguish of the nation.
But beyond this, it seems baffling that a group of Irish comedians would want to lend succour and validation to an organisation which is overtly, and sometimes proudly, misogynistic and homophobic. Would we give them a free pass if they attended an event hosted by a private company which didn’t allow female employees or didn’t authenticate same sex employees who happened to be married?
I doubt it very much. But we are happy to give the Church a pass because we continue to willingly give them a special status, where the same rules don’t seem to apply.
Sinéad O’Connor refused to bow at the altar of papal infallibility, after her bold and timely intervention on American television in the early nineties. She paid for her actions, getting blacklisted for a period afterwards.
“I wasn’t sorry, I didn’t regret it. It was the proudest thing I’ve ever done as an artist,” explained O’Connor in the documentary film Nothing Compares.” They [critics] killed me, but I didn’t die. They tried to bury me, but they didn’t realise I was a seed.”
O’Connor isn’t the only Irish entertainer to make a stand.
In 2018, during the current Pope’s official visit to Ireland, the singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke was invited to perform in the Phoenix Park event in front of Francis. On RTÉ’s Liveline programme, he discussed the moral dilemma he faced.
“I’m not a religious person, no disrespect to anyone else’s beliefs. But, you know, I feel the Catholic Church is responsible for so much suffering in this country.”
Ultimately, O’Rourke declined the invitation and took a courageous and important stand.
The presence of the three Irish comedians at the Apostolic Palace this Friday of course doesn’t equate to their support of the Catholic Church or its practices. They may sincerely feel that having an opportunity to meet with the Pope could lead to constructive progress on social issues. They may use the meeting to express concerns or criticisms. Or they may be committed Catholics and this will be the Best Day Out Ever.
These are valid and understandable positions.
However, what I do know is this: These three men are public figures in Ireland and are very popular. They have an opportunity to make a clear stand in the face of an invitation to an event which could be described as comedy washing. For the Pope to be photographed in the company of the kings and queens of comedy, such as Whoopi Goldberg and Stephen Colbert, helps suppress the damage done by this organisation. It validates its practices and helps the Catholic Church present itself as pardoned, forgiven, clean.
This jars violently with the history of clerical abuse. Do we all just put on a smile and agree that all is okay now? Or do we require our public figures to take a moral stance and demand that more atonement and reparations are required before we start adding a laugh track?
Comedians should never get too close to power. This is why the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC is such an uncomfortable affair under a Democratic administration. It makes viewers queasy to see comedians sucking up to Obama or Biden, because the role of comedy is to hold power to account, not to become its lapdog.
“An audience with the Pope” is what will happen on Friday, an expression of astonishing arrogance. It suggests that whoever is in his infallible presence is the lucky one. But in this case, the Pope is the lucky one. Because once again, the Church has found a way to drive its own narrative and convince the rest of us that what they are doing is a “step in the right direction.”
People will say Francis is the least misogynistic and least homophobic Pope in history. This is to celebrate the smallest of victories, the barest concessions imaginable. This is the least he can do, when the road ahead is so long.
The bizarre theatre that takes place every time a celebrity rocks up to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope demands to be satirised. The fawning over the ancient traditions, the arrival of the Big Man in his white cassock, the obligatory photograph.
But who will satirise it all when the comedians are too distracted by the show?
Simon Tierney is a journalist and writer.
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Well, I didn’t see that coming tbh, but anything is better than the shinners trying to claim ownership of it.
Nobody owns it but SF it seems are the only ones willing to celebrate it..
“celebrate” it by creating an anti-social scene on Moore Street. Thuggish behaviour is not celebration.
Would that be like the “anti-social scene” the men and women of 1916 created?
Unfortunately the powers-that-be in our great little country don’t listen to (and permanently lie to) it’s citizens, so what else to do?
Give it a rest, we can all celebrate/commemorate it together, stop being so divisive.
You call occupying a building anti social and thuggish behaviour. Do you even know what the Easter Rising was you numpty, people occupying buildings but with weapons. I suppose that was thuggish behaviour as well. Laughable that a clown with that imbecile O’Duffy as your name and picture talking about thuggish behaviour. You mustn’t be the brightest spark, or wasn’t listening during history class.
….@oduffy and vinnie.
Phil the thing is I can guarantee you those two have never before been to an Easter Rising commemoration before, and if they do go to an event this year it’ll more than likely be the only one they attend. SF proudly remember the Rising every year so I must say it’s to be welcomed that the establishment parties have put on events this year, even if some are half hearted exercises just for show. Will they bother celebrating iy next year though, probably not.
It would surprise me in the least if Enda was holding a placard saying “Careful Now” outside the GPO Easter Sunday this year…
Rise to the pseudonym trolls lads. Exactly what he wants.
I doubt either of them have any interest in events.
Out come the shinnerbots with the usual BS and insults. You really are a pathetic bunch.
@Vinnie,
You brought up “the shinners” in your own post.
@pjm the facts don’t support your lie… But tell the lie big enough and often enough and eventually you will change truth… Robert Mac Sands was starved to death by the wicked witch of Finchley because he asked her nicely to give peace loving members of the Irish Respect Association basic human rights like flushing toilets and Yorkshire pudding.
What are you talking about you demented fool, are you kissed drunk or what?
*pissed
Vinnie (or whatever you are calling yourself these days), Danny Morrison wrote a piece in the Examiner the other day. http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/analysis/no-one-owns-or-has-a-monopoly-on-the-rising-or-its-legacy-375428.html Here are some excerpts.
“No one, not the IRA, not Sinn Féin, not Fianna Fáil nor Fine Gael, nor any party or organisation, owns or has a monopoly on the Rising or its legacy”
“It is easier to repeatedly attack Sinn Féin, and internalise our problem, than it is to confront the British government on collusion, its agencies’ involvement in bombings and assassinations, including the killing of dozens in Dublin and Monaghan.”
“If Sinn Féin and the DUP can share power in the North, given our bloody past, then isn’t it about time that Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour ‘cease-fired’ in the South, stopped using the Troubles as a substitute for political debate, and simply agreed to disagree about the legacy of 1916 whilst honouring the undoubted bravery of the men and women who fought at Easter Week?”
You better report that “thuggish” behavior, but be prepared to be laughed at by the cops.
Good link Brian.
Agree, worth a read.
Don’t you recognise the story your official textbooks will contain when the thousand year Marxist-Adamsian reign is five years old and getting fat on the corruption of power? You already believe the armed struggle was so you could have Devon cream teas in the shadow of Lord Carson.
Can’t we all just get along!
The Irish people own this. Sinn Fein and people like James Connolly’s grandson are defending it against the spin and revisionism of this government – shame on them.
Fair play to Google. After all the years of paying low tax to the country and not employing the educated workforce as much as they said they would they’re finally giving back. Hopefully more Irish based activities on their website over the next few years.
That is a pretty stupid comment. They employ about 1000 Irish graduates and planned only about 100. Just because you did not make the cut does not mean they are not employing.
hahahahahahaha
Make the cut ? Good one pal.
This presentation was not approved by Sinn Fein’s Historical Revisions Council.
At best it should be viewed cautiously.
Thankfully SF want to celebrate our history unlike the blue shirts who want to destroy it.
Interesting when you click on the photos of the Moore Street buildings that most of the street was knocked down, completely flattened.
You’d wonder how many original buildings are even left standing on Moore Street now, looks like very few are original from that Google photo.
Very good from google well worth a look
I wonder if Colin’s narration is on a par with Richard Burton on War of the Worlds.
All aboard the train, which will be the ego trip every tom, dick and Harriet will jump on! I can see the centenary beginning hijacked by those who think it will be cool to go into o’ connell street on easter Monday… Then forget all about it!
How to access the site ? Can anyone help?
Google it?
Great viewing, I never knew the Rotunda Maternity Hospital was the first Maternity hospital in the world. Well done Colin Farrell. Have you read “WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK IN 1916″ great read, tells the story as it was. Hope they make a movie out of it. Website is “dublinrising.withgoogle.com. Well done Google.
This is very impressive. Its a pity the “journeys” from one site to another go at such a breakneck speed. If slower it would give people are not familiar with Dublin a better opportunity to see the city as it is today
WHO’S VERSION OF HISTORY?
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