 Sinéad O'Connor fans have reflected on the jaw-dropping moment she ripped up a photo of the Pope three decades ago following the news of her death. On Wednesday evening, the Irish singer's family confirmed that she had died aged 56, with tributes quickly pouring in with fans and famous faces, who shared what her music meant to them. Among the tributes there have been many mentions of some of her more controversial moments, including the time she protested by ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992. On the show to perform an a cappella version of Bob Marley's 1976 song War, which she intended as a protest against the Catholic Church's sexual abuse of children and its continued cover-up, O'Connor presented the photo to the camera while singing the word 'evil' and then tore the photo into pieces and declared: 'Fight the real enemy.' The backlash was swift, with the singer banned from the show for life, and other performers including Madonna criticising her move. However, the photo, which had belonged to her mother, was also used by O'Connor to 'rip her up' after suffering emotional and physical abuse at her hands growing up. A decade after the performance, Pope John Paul II apologised for rampant sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. Now, fans have reflected on the 'brave' moment where O'Connor put herself up for public criticism to express her views. 'When Sinéad O Connor tore up the pope's picture in 1992, Ireland was on the cusp of a reckoning. Long before it was acceptable, Sinéad used her art to shatter the silence and hypocrisy used to control generations of young Irish women like her. What a legacy. What a loss,' one person posted on Twitter. The Irish singer was banned for life from Saturday Night Live after the incident (Picture: Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images) 'It honestly felt like the start of change around that time. I remember the voc){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Sinead O’Connor fans have reflected on the jaw-dropping moment she ripped up a photo of the Pope three decades ago following the news of her death.
On Wednesday evening, the Irish singer’s family confirmed that she had died aged 56, with tributes quickly pouring in with fans and famous faces, who shared what her music meant to them.
Among the tributes there have been many mentions of some of her more controversial moments, including the time she protested by ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992.
On the show to perform an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s 1976 song War, which she intended as a protest against the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse of children and its continued cover-up, O’Connor presented the photo to the camera while singing the word ‘evil’ and then tore the photo into pieces and declared: ‘Fight the real enemy.’