Should the Pope's visit have come out of the international development Aid budget?

[jake-the-peg]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12351583

So who's going without clean water so that his holiness could come and wave at some peopke over here?

[anotheoldgit]

/// So who's going without clean water ///

Or perhaps which foreign despot is going to have less to spend on weapons and his comfortable life style?

[jake-the-peg]

Which you've got evidence for of course?

No? thought not

[modeller]

Should it have come out of any state budget. If the RC church want their leader to come here then they should pay for it .

[Ric.ror]

Well Roman Catholics in this country have paid for enough of your leaders holidays (and weddings) and not complained!!

[jno]

no - I don't feel great about him visiting at all, but I suppose he is a head of a state (of sorts) and has to be accorded the same sort of reception as Mugabe. But I can't see how the international aid budget should come into it.

[eyethenkyew]

Just for the RC Church knockers, this has nothing to do with his Holiness the Pope, the responsibility for the funding mentioned in the link is down to decisions made by ministers in our own government.

Remember, the Pope did not turn round one day and decide to pop over to the UK, WE invited him in exactly the same way that thousands of other foreign heads of government, dignitaries, church leaders etc etc have been invited over the years. Name any others who are asked to fund their visits?

The sectarian element on here will certainly cook up some sort of objections, but there is no reason why one Christian country cannot welcome and celebrate the leader of the largest Christian Faith in the world. And I don't think that the first such visit in nearly 30 years was kicking the bum out of it?

Our own Queen, the head of the C of E, has indeed made several visits to the Vatican, and hundreds of state visits worldwide, and I think it's fair to say that Buck House doesn't get billed for any of those?

Religious intolerants are the only ones who will object, and funnily enough, they are strangely silent when many other foreign religious hierarchy are invited to our country. Wonder why?

[modeller]

//Well Roman Catholics in this country have paid for enough of your leaders holidays (and weddings) and not complained!! // But they are our leaders . He is a foreigner.

[R1Geezer]

no one should should have to go without so that peddlars of religious c0bblers can ply their trade. I don't mind what brand of fairy tales it is they should cover their own brainwashing costs.

[rov1100]

I think we got it on the cheap at about £1.5m. Compare that with the cost of policing the future wedding of Prince William nearer to £5m.

[mosesg]

Is the Catholic Church a registered charity if it is I am sure that is fine, but disagree with it. I think the money would be better put to use both home and abroad to help people living in poverty or disaster zones.

[modeller]

I should add he is not only a foreigner he preaches an alien ideology which has caused millions of deaths, not only throughout history but still today with his attitude to the prevention of AIDS.
Only 10% of the UKs population are RC's so why should the rest of us pay for his mumbo jumbo. Had we not been ruled by those two religious weirdos Blair and Brown he would not have been invited in the first place.

[eyethenkyew]

So much religious and sectarian bigotry going on that those involved are more intent on slagging off the Pope, the question's being ignored.

Shouldn't either the PM or Chancellor be addressing the matter of how these monies appear to have been diverted?

[anotheoldgit]

jake-the-peg

/// Which you've got evidence for of course?

No? thought not ///

A typical Left response to anyone daring to offer up an opposing point.

Did I ask you where your evidence was that some were going without fresh water because of the pope's visit? No.

But you asked me for evidence, but gave me no time to provide any.

So here is some, not taken from the Daily Mail but from The Guardian no less.

/// Cameron's article states that "too much aid is too often misplaced, and too much lost to corruption". I would agree with that. Here are two shocking stories of misuse of government aid. First, in 2005, 16% of hurricane relief funds were lost to fraud. Second, in 2008, £260 million of subsidies to low income housing were lost. ///

http://tinyurl.com/63nq59x

[Kromovaracun]

"A typical Left response to anyone daring to offer up an opposing point. "

What, asking for evidence?

[anotheoldgit]

A typical 'Right' responce would have been,

"Have you any evidence to support your argument"?.

Not asking for an answer and then on the same post answering that question, on their behalf.

See the difference?

No of course you don't,

See what I mean?

[Snafu03]

with all the extra money pledged for 'foreign aid' by our cash strapped goverment, why not? At least he's one foreigner that'll be going home after!

[LazyGun]

No, its shouldnt have come out of the international aid budget - and the defence of that transfer of wonga sounds more than a little weak too.

I dislike all religions. I think they are all a barrier to human development, and entrench sectarian hatreds.That having been said, the Pope is a head of state, and there is a significant minority of the UK public who I am sure were very happy to see him. It seems only fair we stump up for security etc whilst he is here.

[jomifl]

Of course we need to be nice to the pope so that British industry can win all those big papal defence contracts and sell some old battlesahips to the catholic navy. I expect the pope will need a few ground to air anti-aircraft missiles in the future and of course we musn't forget the huge potential of exporting condoms too Africa when the pope finally manages his U-turn.