taxpayer paying for popes visit

[loltolhurst]

hey we have lots of money at the mo so £40-£50 million for a religious leader is a great use of resources.....

wonder if they will spend the same on an iman or whatever the islam chap is called

or come to think of it how much would they spend on yoda coming here...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8692756.stm

[5unny]

Always puzzles me why religious leaders and 'god's representitives on earth' need so much security. I mean if we are to beleve what they preach then they should have the best security anyway.....the big man upstairs. I guess he is coming as a head of state too so requires some degree of respect and security but why so much?'

[5unny]

Duplicate deleted

Edited by 5unny on Sunday 23 May 23:04

[Parrot of Doom]

Its a state visit, of course the government should pay.

[Eric Mc]

Are all state vists to be cancelled?

[ewenm]

Eric Mc said:

Are all state vists to be cancelled?

No, only the visits the OP disagrees with... <sigh>

[Mojooo]

Id rather have the pope than the olympics and i am not catholic!

[tegwin]

Its all about cost/benefit..... and I dont see how £50 million of our money, spent protecting one of the wealthiest con-men on earth is good value!

Unless someone can enlighten me exactly what good his visiting us will do?

[loltolhurst]

hardly a state is it vatican city? why cant the church pay for it? why can they not charge people to attend?

as an accountant eric u might have noticed we are in a bit of debt - is this visit so essential taxpayers should fork out?

and yes it is all imho but i'm allowed a view

<sigh>

[ewenm]

The Vatican is precisely that, a state. Just because you don't want to recognise it doesn't mean it isn't so. What criteria do you have for which states are eligible for "official state visit" status?

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

[OnTheOverrun]

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

[ewenm]

OnTheOverrun said:

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

And so should the supporters of the USA when Obama comes to visit, likewise the supporters of any state leader when they come...

[AndrewW-G]

Dont agree with any sky daddy promoter having public money spent on them, however Vatican City is a state in its own right . . . . . . its even listed as such on McLarens MP4-12C configuration site

[loltolhurst]

well if is is a state then i suppoooose its ok. still dont think its neccessary though and seeing as the church is one of the richest institutions on earth they should have to pay more.

if its ok with mclaren its ok with me

[OnTheOverrun]

ewenm said:

OnTheOverrun said:

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

And so should the supporters of the USA when Obama comes to visit, likewise the supporters of any state leader when they come...

Yeah but Obama is muslim terrorist whereas the pope is a nazi.

I won't bother with another tongue in cheek smiley as you ignored the one in my last post. . . . .

[Pothole]

OnTheOverrun said:

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

in the hope that this is not a whoosh:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699108.stm

Roman Catholic churchgoers are being urged to help meet a shortfall of more than £3m in funding for Pope Benedict's visit to the UK.
The Church has asked them to put at least £1m in Sunday's collection - largely to pay for three big open air masses at which the Pope will preside.
Because this is a state visit by Pope Benedict XVI, the bulk of the cost is being borne by the UK government.
The Papal visit will cost £15m, not including extra policing and security.
The Church's share of the cost is £7m, and with slightly less than half of it raised, congregations are being asked to contribute via the collection plate.

[loltolhurst]

Pothole said:

OnTheOverrun said:

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

in the hope that this is not a whoosh:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699108.stm

Roman Catholic churchgoers are being urged to help meet a shortfall of more than £3m in funding for Pope Benedict's visit to the UK.
The Church has asked them to put at least £1m in Sunday's collection - largely to pay for three big open air masses at which the Pope will preside.
Because this is a state visit by Pope Benedict XVI, the bulk of the cost is being borne by the UK government.
The Papal visit will cost £15m, not including extra policing and security.
The Church's share of the cost is £7m, and with slightly less than half of it raised, congregations are being asked to contribute via the collection plate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8692756.stm

Mgr Summersgill estimated the last visit by a pope, in 1982, cost between £15m and £16m.

According to the Bank of England's inflation calculator, an event costing £16m in 1982 would cost about £42m today.


and that wasnt a state visit

[Sheets Tabuer]

I live a stones throw from where his sermon will be held, I'm dreading it.

[OnTheOverrun]

Pothole said:

OnTheOverrun said:

ewenm said:

Personally I think all religion is bunkum but I also understand the meaning millions of people gain from it.

They should have a whip round then if it means that much to them. . . . . .

in the hope that this is not a whoosh:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699108.stm

Roman Catholic churchgoers are being urged to help meet a shortfall of more than £3m in funding for Pope Benedict's visit to the UK.
The Church has asked them to put at least £1m in Sunday's collection - largely to pay for three big open air masses at which the Pope will preside.
Because this is a state visit by Pope Benedict XVI, the bulk of the cost is being borne by the UK government.
The Papal visit will cost £15m, not including extra policing and security.
The Church's share of the cost is £7m, and with slightly less than half of it raised, congregations are being asked to contribute via the collection plate.

Well I hoped the smiley in my post combined with the humourous suggestion that the 8% of our population that follow his sect had a whip round for him would make it clear I was being tongue in cheek, but apparently I'm the only one who can see my smileys tonight!

[loltolhurst]

Sheets Tabuer said:

I live a stones throw from where his sermon will be held, I'm dreading it.

would you like to borrow some stones!