Well, this is quite a hot topic atm, so I thought I'd see what discussion we could get out of it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11313328

Now, personally, I'm not against the Pope visiting, he can do whatever he likes, but I do take objection to this:



That's an insane amount of money to pay for a person who is inconsequential (or even insulting) to a majority of the population to visit, especially considering the current budget cuts.

It's also bad that he's using it to promote a very anti-secular agenda, which wouldn't be good for this country. Some quotes, the latter of which, I believe, shows a great misunderstanding of what secularism is:



Also, to end, a bit of a lol:



Last time I checked, multiculturalism was most present in first world countries...

Let the guy harp on about what he wants, if people get upset then it will only prove further the point he's making in his opinion most likely.

People are entitled to their own opinions, don't really care either way myself.

Oh, and there are far big issues at hand in this country than the Pope visiting. Stuff like Iraq and all that crap should be addressed more as a bad thing DD

The main issue is he's harping on is being funded by the state, not the church (which religious visits should be).

Also, just because there are other issues, doesn't mean this can't be discussed

Didn't say they can't .

Just some guy expressing an extreme opinion is hardly new .

And yeh, it shouldn't be state funded but I guess there are some other factors possibly like tourism or some crap like that xD

I don't know why people would have a problem with him visiting, but I also don't know why it has to cost this much or why he (or the church [or the queen]) doesn't pay for it if its so important.
Personally I find his anti-secular view to be quite backward (as did Jesus by the way) but as wynney said he has the right to his opinion, provided of-course, he can justify it.

It looks like a lot. In comparison it's actually very little money really lol.

A football match is charged around £250k for policing etc. I think for a visit from one of the most "crucial" members in the world £15 million actually isn't a lot. (if you think about football is just fans watching a game then going home!).

Not saying I agree with paying for it but I don't pay tax. Could argue the same about the royal family maybe I guess?

indeed, i feel the same way about the royal family
thing is, it doesn't matter if it costs £15million or £15. let him pay for his own damn holiday

on football, I though it was payed for by the club and not the taxpayer? ;o
if not then i disagree with that as much as the popes visit ^^

football clubs can apply to be helped by the tax payer. But I don't think 100% of the time no - just pointing out the costs of security are high (and the figure quoted was for a Championship game, i.e. 2nd tier).

As for the tax payers money, sure I guess. But the thing is not everyone will agree on the spending of money 100% of the time. Things like The Sun quote the figure and people think omg that's huge when in reality, it is very very little.

Personally wouldn't want my money going towards an illegal war DD. Wouldn't like my money funding sports I don't care about, etc. You can't please everyone.

And I'm willing to bet some people who follow the pope religiously came to the UK just for the chance to see him. Heck, if he were in Swansea I would go see him just cos he's such a big deal in the world. If 5million people go to see him and spend £3 then that cost has been covered and arguably economically would be more beneficial to the country.

But whatever, I don't really care he's here at all. You could argue money is being wasted. I could say it's cos people were stupid enough to vote for conservatives that this kind of money is being spent! Can't back that up but ya know, OPINIONS AND ALL!

True, it isn't a right lot in the grand scheme of things, but it's still a lot to pay for one person (who, IMO, isn't that important these days anyway).

Also, you say football matches are charged, ie the bill is footed by the club (and therefore the people choosing to watch the game) and not the taxpayer?

I think the issue with the money, even if it is paltry, is that it's being spent during a time where the government is going on about everything they are having to cut to not go completely bust, yet they spend all this on a figure who has relatively little political influence and who a large number of the country disagree with.

my point about the football wasn't that it's the taxpayers money (partially sometimes though), but that the costs of security for a simple thing like a relatively low level football match are very high!!!

So which political party wouldn't have spent this money? Actually I can think of one, but that's for a different thread.

Also, personally I just see it as a man taking a rather expensive trip and thats a waste of the money we don't have, then again to some people I'm sure its a big deal, so I'll let them think that (and take the bill). Is he visiting any where else or is it just here and back?

i actually have been to see the pope ^^
..twice
he was in the south of France a few years ago while i was on holiday, and he was giving a mass on the other side of malta (about 2 miles away) so we thought why not. (it may be worth mentioning that despite the 'deadly volcano', the pope experienced no delays and enjoyed a nice smooth flight:) )

anyhow, security is indeed expensive and naturally I wouldn't want the guy to be killed. While it is indeed a relatively small amount of money i do find it a little insulting that he - being the head of one the biggest financial powers and land owners in existence - doesn't have the curtsey to pay for it himself? The catholic church is immensely wealthy, they have tens of billions of dollars worth of art alone. it wouldn't be far-fetched to call the pope the richest man alive so why is it us (the taxpayer) funding his visit?

I'm going to watch this later but maybe people have opinions on this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11316476

A good point there yes .

But you said yourself you went out your way to see him. I'm sure you spent money that day in shops that any other given day you may not have done. Businesses get money --> taxed --> in theory we could just be getting that money back anyway.

Meanwhile businesses get more money, maybe it means they can hire someone extra. That someone extra = more money = spends more = more tax etc.

The above isn't that farfetched and I can understand that it may be an extreme example (though not out of the question).

+ you have to consider we don't want to be considered rude to a whole religion xD. Many will believe the UK should be honoured to have such an important figure deciding to visit their country.

We are a protestant nation though (Not that I believe in all that nonsense)... He has no right even coming here. I probably portray a view slightly more extreme than most. He has no political power, he has no power at all. Nothing. not a dot. He's a man with a title, that's it.

I don't understand why he needs to come here, or even why he would want to. With all the scandals surrounding the church at the moment especially. But either way, we're spending money on a "normal" bloke to go on holiday basically.

He's clearly not just a normal bloke though lol.

But he IS just a normal bloke. He has no more power than you or me. Presidents/Leaders etc have some political sway and power

I suspect this has alot to do with it tbh.
it would be a bad political move to offend the catholic church, that's obvious. but they don't seem to mind being rude to us.

I know what your saying about the whole circle of money but the fact remains that I chose to go see him. ^^
I decided I wanted to stay for an hour longer than I would have (Malta's capital is the most boring capital in the world btw)

I do not think it should fall on the church to pay for the big mac that I decided to eat while i was there, nor do i think it falls to the church to accommodate the people who chose to travel to malta just to see the pope.
the church however, seems to think that it does fall to us to pay for their accommodations AND their metaphorical big mac.

EDIT: to a non believer his power and status may seem fraudulent, as is his claim to it - on this i agree. but to over 1billion people (i think) he is gods will on earth, on top of that there is the obscene wealth of the church and backing of many powerful nations which means he could do just about anything he wants imo.

he has a much greater influence which arguably = a way to have / get power.

The fact he has no influence on you is really quite irrelevant lol.