Vincent Browne slams RTÉ's Papal Visit coverage as "propaganda"

"Propaganda for an institution that has been criminally complicit in the rape and buggery of children around the world."

Veteran broadcaster and journalist Vincent Browne has criticised RTÉ's coverage of the Papal visit, labelling it as "propaganda".

Referring to the programming as "reverential", Browne claiming that the approach didn't represent a fitting standard of journalistic integrity.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday night, the former TV3 man pulled no punches in blasting both the national broadcaster and the Catholic Church.

"RTÉ's reverential coverage of the Pope's visit was not journalism," Browne began.

"It was propaganda for an institution that has been criminally complicit in the rape and buggery of children around the world and is the prime institutional carrier of misogyny and homophobia," he concluded.

RTE’s reverential coverage of the Pope’s visit was not journalism. It was propaganda for an institution that has been criminally complicit in the rape and buggery of children around the world and is the prime institutional carrier of mysogyny and homophobia. — Vincent Browne (@vincentbrowne) August 26, 2018

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar marked the conclusion of the visit with a short statement on Twitter in which he thanked Pope Francis for visiting Ireland, while expressing his hope that action will follow in the wake of his words.

"We welcome Pope Francis’s call for firm and decisive action and for forgiveness," said the Taoiseach.

"We now ask that from words flow actions.

"We thank Pope Francis for his visit, and ask for his prayers."

On Sunday morning in Knock, the Pontifex begged for God's forgiveness while discussing the "open wound" of clerical abuse in Ireland.

Before 45,000 people, the Pope spoke of "firm and decisive" action in the name of "truth and justice".

Later, he said mass Phoenix Park during which he read from a handwritten letter and asked for forgiveness of abuses carried out by members of the Catholic Church in Ireland.