Papal Visit to UK

[beso]

The RC church is planning a Papal visit to the UK.
It is going to cost the British taxpayers 25 million pounds.

Good value or what?

[Sandy-Wroe]

Only 25 million? That seems reasonable.

[mibn2cweus]

So how many alter boys' silence will that buy then?

[Ric.ror]

Well I aim to go see him so take my share out of my taxes

[Mr Veritas]

I trust that somewhere will be a demonstration reminding him of the Roman Catholic child abuse scandal.
Picture of the Pope in the UK~
http://www.icis.com/b...35ostrich_468x538.jpg

[beso]

Pope:
http://www.petitionon...opeinUK/petition.html

Nope:
http://petitions.numb...ov.uk/ProtestthePope/

[grasscarp]

The cost is a drop in the ocean. I think I heard that being in the European Union costs us £43 million a day, Afghanistan is cost us £5 billion a year and we have give £100 million to provide employment to people in the Yemen, etc etc

[Ankou]

the cost of the pope's travels and organising his events will be £15million, which will be shared between the government and the church. the taxpayer will have to pick up the cost of policing including protecting the pontiff from hostile demonstrators.

so i guess, the more protestors,m the more police, the more cost.

its a cruel world.

[chakka35]

What does the cost matter? Why are we still welcoming such a man anyway?

[naomi24]

^^ I really don't know.

[WaldoMcFroog]

I see Hitchens and Dawkins are investigating whether it's possible to arrest the pope. Appallingly, some of you reading this will be more upset about Dawkins criticising religion than the fact that the Pope provably covered up child abuse. Shame on you.

Isn't it a bit beyond the pale that some people seem to think that because the pope is the head of a religious institution, he shouldn't be held to the same legal and moral accountability for his part in allowing child abuse to continue? If it were Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, who'd presided over a deliberate policy to move on paedophile teachers and insist this was a matter for his department only, not for the law, does anyone here seriously think he'd be excused in the way Ratzinger has been?

[naomi24]

Well said Waldo. This will be interesting. Here's a link.

http://www.timesonlin...th/article7094310.ece

[Justincider]

I think paypal provide a reliable safe service.

[chakka35]

Today's news is that Dawkins and Hitchens are working to have Ratzinger arrested for crimes against humanity if he comes here. Wouldn't that be one for the book?

In view of the timid nature of our DPP it may not work but it might be enough to frighten the despicable man off.
Let's hope so.

[chakka35]

Sorry, Waldo. Inattentive of me not to have noticed that we heard it from you first.

[WaldoMcFroog]

It turns out that the Times was being somewhat, er, how does one put this diplomatically, erm, generous with la vérité regarding Dawkins arresting the Pope. There are moves afoot, but Dawkins is pretty much incidental.

http://richarddawkins...esOnline,page2#478580

[McMouse]

The Pope will probably die in his sleep in the next few weeks. The vatican have previous on this.

[naomi24]

No surprise there then, Waldo. This is certainly a sticky one for the establishment and will make fascinating watching.