To think the taxpayer shouldn't be paying £8 million towards the pope's visit?

[wannaBe]

Reported on bbc this morning that the catholic church is asking for bigger donations from its members to fund the pope's visit, and then went on to say that part of the cost is being covered by the taxpayer!

They then had a bishop on who claimed that the vatican is in financial difficulty really?

Now if the catholic church wants to pay for the pope's visit and if its members wish to contribute to this that is up to them.

But as a non catholic I don't see why I should indirectly have to pay for it, or for any other religious leader for that matter.

Maybe lots of people will come from europe to hear/see him and generate lots of lovely tourist revenue.

trying to look on the bright side.

wannabe I think some of them probably have,

There have been plenty of heads of state visit who have atrocious human rights records.

Personally I don't see why anyone comes and visits; haven't they heard of Skype?!

Well, just before I leave to do the ritual buying of the first bra with my 13yr old daughter, I will say that I think that the pope should probably trust in god to keep him safe whilst he's in the UK, seeing as how his belief in him is so strong, and if someone pops a bullet in him then it must be god's wish to bring him home to heaven.

"The Papal visit will cost £15m, not including extra policing and security."

How? What on earth is going to cost so much if not policing and security?

And why is he coming? Has he done all the Catholic countries already?

I remember the last papal visit, and that was very exciting, but I really don't get the point of this visit. But then DH and DC are all at mass and I not.

yanbu

I was about to say that he should get the same treatment as other heads of states (Bush,...) but I am a bit puzzled after poster who says that bush's visit "Only" costed £4 millions. What will the £ 11 million extra be for if not security? 3 masses? surely you can pretty much build 3 catherdrals for that price it is a bit pricey IMHO.

We don't have £15m of tax revenue to waste on a papal visit and we certainly shouldn't be throwing £15m of taxpayers' money on someone who, at best, protected child abusers and threatened victims. Disgusting. We also don't need a publicity tour by someone who protects child abusers.

I doubt it'll do anything for tourism, Catholics in other European countries can see him when he visits them in their home nations.

If he needs security, he can pay for it himself. The Vatican is loaded. Local parishes may be skint, but not the top levels of the Catholic church.

Is he a head of state though? I thought the Vatican was not recognised as a country by the united nations?

Although I suppose that doesn't matter if they are recognised by individual countries.

We always fork out for official visits by Important People, don't we?

Well I don't know what you all expect.

These people are all cronies in their head of state gang

We have had other heads of state who have done dire things, there are protests about some visit or otehr most years.

I am surprised that anyone would think that the UK would turn down a visit from the pope.

(I don't want him here personally, for all the reasons stated. But am surprised that anyone would think it would be a remote possibility that the UK would turn him down)

thanks

As for the tourist thing - I don't know - it was just a thought. But people might come - it's not like he does a world tour every year. He's not the stones

"The press conference heard that the costs of the visit are estimated to be in the region of £15million and will be jointly met by the Government and by the Scottish and English and Welsh bishops.

Policing costs will be drawn from existing budgets without incurring additional expenditure and unlike most state visits there will be no banquets for the Pope and he will stay in Church residences rather than in the company of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Murphy said the cost compared favourable with the £20million incurred in hosting the G20 talks for just one day."

I don't know what they mean by 'existing budgets"

He isn't having any banquets and is staying in church property. What are they spending £15 million on?

Yup, I'msonot, but I object to all visits from dictators and torturers, not just the Pope.

Actually we could save a few pennies in the public purse by conducting an ethical appraisal before paying for visits from foreign leaders...

Maybe we need to keep an eye out for where the protesters are rallying, and post a link to it when the times right.

I predict trouble actually.

I believe the coalition govt has comitted to returning the right to peaceful protest that was eroded under the previous govt...

i wonder if they will decide to wait until after the pope has been to put that into practice.

£15million without counting the policing costs?

I mean, presumably the G20 talks involved delegations from 20 countries, that's a big old event.

How can it cost so much for the pope to go on a week's holiday?! It's not even like he's bringing his wife and kids... has he tried lastminute.com?

LOL TheheatenSuburbia!

he got a tenner out of us yesterday, that should buy him some fish and chips while he is over...