In a planned visit to Ireland this weekend, Pope Francis awaits a “silent and peaceful protest” against revelations of illegal child adoptions and sexual abuse.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is condemning the protests as ‘petty’, referring to thousands of Dubliners booking free tickets to an open air mass with plans to leave seats empty.
The protests come after both revelations of institutionalised abuse and the discovery of a mass grave last year at a former Catholic church care home.