should we,the british taxpayer be expected pay 12 million pounds [plus police expenses]

[stokemaveric]

for the visit of a harborer of sex offenders??.sorry i mean the visit of the pope to the uk???

[Captin Kirk]

as sure as eggs is eggs it will have gone on in all areas of society where people in roles of trust have taken advantage of children ...

the Pope is an easy target ... who next? ...Baden Powell?

[Captin Kirk]

as tinkerbell said ...

If we all could pick and choose where the funds for policing or many other things in life go then the country would grind to a standstill.

[tinkerbell23]

he is alledgedly involved in a cover up story....as is the queen.

[stokemaveric]

shock horror tinkerbell the queen involved in a cover up??? orf to the tower with you..

[tinkerbell23]

pmsl stoke!!!! ull have to catch me1st LOL ;0D

[stokemaveric]

lol tinkerbell the beefeaters are on their way.....

[ummmm]

Ok....

[jake-the-peg]

And your source is .....Wikipedia

Whilst Wikipedia is often an excellent reference in uncontensious issues you really can't trust it in contentious areas.

You also don't seem to have looked any further for any explanation to his actions.

There certainly sounds as if there is a case to answer but I think you'd have libel lawyers in a frenzy with that one

[naomi24]

Jake, I don't think there's any doubt that the pope was aware of, and failed to deal appropriately with, paedophile priests operating within his church.

http://www.timesonlin...th/article7060406.ece

No, the taxpayer should not be expected to help fund this visit. If the Catholic church wants him here, then it should pay the costs.

[rowanwitch]

I think there is also the whole idea of state visit, the head of state comes over as our guest.... it is actually unusual that the catholic church is contributing to the cost of the visit normally only personal body guards, private cooks etc are paid for by the visitor, It is because he is undertaking activities as head of a church as well as a head of a very small state. in return the same applies when the Queen travels abroad she is the guest of the host nation.
No one can condone the terrible things that have happened within the catholic church and also in the church of England it happened in my parish when I was a child and the curate concerned was sent on a long 'retreat' then no one heard any more about him. At least it is being spoken of now so can start being dealt with and help offered to the victims. I think the Catholic church is ahead of the C of E in this now. Hopefully it will be considered further when the head of state for Vatican City meets with vaious officials etc over here.

We may not approve of this particular guest... but then Robert Mugabe, the Chinese leader etc came here too and I don't approve of them either

[jackthehat]

I thought that this falls into the 'Visiting Head of State' category ?
He's Head of Vatican State, as well as being Pope, and thus we have to stump up the cash in the same manner as we would for Obama, Merkel or Sarkozy.

[naomi24]

Apparently, since the Vatican does not hold full United Nations membership, his title as Head of State doesn't fall into the same category as those you mention though Jack. It's an interesting situation. See here.

http://www.guardian.c...ial-pope-benedict-xvi

[jackthehat]

Oooooh...............
Won't *that* set the cat amongst the pigeons ?

Thanks for the link, naomi :o)

[joeluke]

The British taxpayer is forking out millions for this man to visit our country, exactly why? So that he can ride around in his bulletproof vehicle waving at people?

Does the pope ever visit Ireland? It would be very interesting if he did right now as marching season climaxes

[Ric.ror]

I've said it before and I will say it again put my taxes towards the visit - I have to pay enough for the head of your church

[modeller]

Why did Gordon Brown invite him here in thge first place.? What's happening to the Labour leadership ? First we had Tony Blair embracing Catholicism and then Gordon inviting the Pope .

[anotheoldgit]

Why is the Pope any different to all the other foreign dignities that get invited to our country at large costs to the British tax payer?

Wasn't that beast Mugabe of Zimbabwe not only invited here in1994 but also awarded, 'Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath', by our Queen, only to have it taken away from him only 2 years ago?

I wonder how much that cost us?

[McMouse]

Gordon Brown invited him to appease Sinn Féin.

[youngmafbog]

No he should not be invited and paid for.

If the Rock Cakes want him to come and spout some fairy tale drivel then they should pay. Otherwise he can s*d off