(Niall Carson/PA via AP) An art installation by Manix Flynn protesting the Pope's visit is seen in Dublin City center, Ireland, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. When St. John Paul II visited Ireland in 1979, the Catholic Church wielded such power that homosexuality, divorce, abortion and contraception were barely spoken of, much less condoned. Catholic bishops had advised the authors of Ireland's constitution, and still held sway. Today, as Pope Francis prepares to visit, the Catholic Church enjoys no such influence.
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