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Pope's state visit to the UK thread

Undesired Walrus

Penultimate Amazing
Undesired Walrus
Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
11,691
It makes me a bit teary eyed and patriotic to come across this poll:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/10/pope-faces-protests-british-visits
When Benedict XVI lands at Edinburgh airport on Thursday, he is unlikely to get the rapturous reception that greeted John Paul II on his visit to Britain in 1982.

Over the coming days, the pope will be faced with protesters demanding action on clerical sexual abuse of children and voicing anger at the £20m cost of the state visit, and must also contend with public apathy.

A recent survey revealed 77% of people questioned felt the taxpayer should not contribute to the cost of the visit, with 79% saying they had "no personal interest" in the pontifical trip.
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I feel like standing with my hand on heart to Elgar's Nimrod knowing our country has moved on from the adoring hysteria usually poured on the world's most powerful homophobe.
 
Over the coming days, the pope will be faced with protesters demanding action on clerical sexual abuse of children and voicing anger at the £20m cost of the state visit
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I have to laugh at this kind of innumerate pseudo-outrage. I recall people actually regurgitating talking points at work during the Clinton "Lewinsky" scandal about how they "didn't want their tax money wasted that way!" :mad:

This was about $40 million, or about 1/50,000th the then federal budget. Or about 1/150,000th, given it was spread out over several years.


Not saying it wasn't a waste, but beefing about a vanishingly small percent as if it's meaningful is clownish.
 
I can't find it at the moment, but a great sig lin from a UK forum... paraphrased...

"Security costs for the Pope's visit have passed 12million pounds...

but if it helps keep the kids safe... it's worth it."


:D
 
Hardly surprising.

England has been pretty anti-Catholic since Henry the Eighth.
On top of that the population has become overwhelmingly secular.

The only thing that is likely to stir any emotions about the pope in the UK population is the recent revelation of all those squalid abuse scandals.
 
loll the taxpayers have to pay ?
why on earth would they have to?
who invited that guy? the one inviting him should pay for it. And as a earthly representant of God, one would expect God would pay the travel cost of his Propaganda minister. Does the pope also pay for the costs when UK people go visit the vatican?
 
This visit is causing some major headaches for the various emergency services - who are getting no additional budget for the requirements, mind you.
 
The UK taxpayer has to pay for the security because it's a state visit by a head of State.
 
dudalb said:
I suspect the cost would be about the same if Obama or any other HEad of State would visit the UK.
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Some of us do not recognise this old fool as a head of state rather than a head of church. I have no time for holy willies like this.
 
Just a minor point, but the poster said obama and other heads of state.
Point being he never said or hinted the pope was head of a state.
 
Vatican is not a state in my book, and the pope is no head of a state, he is the head of a cult.
but well if that guy's visit is considered that way...

Protecting him is pure blasphemy anyway.
 
funk de fino said:
Some of us do not recognise this old fool as a head of state rather than a head of church.
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Under the curent international norms the pope is as head of state and thus on a par with the likes of Albert II, Marcus Stephen and Hans-Adam II. Not recognising this makes about as much sense as not recognising that Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state of Tuvalu.
 
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