SPAIN: Critics of Pope Benedict's visit to Spain say they are outraged at having to pay for a Catholic event in a secular country

Record ID: 784827

  • Title: SPAIN: Critics of Pope Benedict's visit to Spain say they are outraged at having to pay for a Catholic event in a secular country
  • Date: 17th August 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PILGRIMS CHANTING AND DANCING
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain, Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics,Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA7F3T7PCFB350HXBRWYU2W8RK6
  • Story Text: Pope Benedict is assured of a warm welcome this week from thousands of young people gathering in Spain's capital city Madrid for World Youth Day 2011.
    But the celebrations could be marred by local discontent over the cost of his third trip to a country struggling to exit a recession and with one in five unemployed.
    Some of the most vociferous criticisms of the event have come from the "indignados" (indignants), who populated Madrid's emblematic Puerta del Sol square in May to protest about government spending cuts, economic woes, and high unemployment.
    Madrid resident, Tono, believes that in a world struggling with an economic crisis the funds for the Pope's visit could be used for charity.
    "I don't really care for the Pope's visit to Spain, what it seems wrong to me is that we have to pay for the half of this visit and even more now that the church is not like it was at it origins. This money could be perfectly used to alleviate the hunger in Africa or other purposes that are much more needed rather than a simple event. I don't know, it looks more like an enterprise not a religious institution," he told Reuters.
    One large issue has been the special reductions on public transport offered to the visiting pilgrims when Spaniards are being charged up to 50 percent more on their 9-ride bus card.
    World Youh Day (WYD) organisers have insisted, however, that it is the visiting pilgrims who are paying for the event and that it will generate some 100 million euros for the state coffers.
    Father Will Stromm said that with God's help they raised money in his parish in the United States Austin for their trip to Madrid.
    "We were able to do a lot of fund rising in our parish, so we were able to ask the people in our parish who were able to help and support us in this trip. So we were able to pay a third, the parish helped us with a third and fund raised the third. So we kind of worked together to be able to provide us to be able to come on this trip. So now when the economy is slow not many people were able to come as maybe it could be if the economy was better but we also put it in God's hands and if he wanted us to come he allowed us to be able to raise the money to be here," the priest said.
    A demonstration described as "secular" is planned for Wednesday (August 17) evening, on the eve of Benedict's arrival for his four-day visit.
    Agustin Villacorta member of the secular organization Europa Laica insisted the protest is not aimed at the pope, but at an event which is using public money to fund a Church event against a backdrop of imposed austerity.
    "It seems good to us that he comes, they have plenty of building, most of the time empty, cathedrals they could use them without having to make a Via Crucis in the Castellana. Then come, but not at the expense of the citizens' taxes, no matter if they are catholics or not catholics," Villacorta said to Reuters.
    Spanish priests already complained in June about the high-profile corporate sponsorship deals surrounding the pope's visit, saying it made the church look privileged.
    Corporate logos of the companies, including the euro zone's biggest bank Santander , Telefonica and Coca Cola amongst others fill the official website.
    The Wednesday (August 17) protest will take place in the central Madrid Tirso de Molina square, where the organisers will read a manifesto, then go on towards Puerta del Sol.
    Local gay and lesbian groups are also expected to jump on the protests bandwagon during Benedict's visit, as well as pro-abortion campaigners.
    Critics have put the visit's costs at around 100 million euros -- not generating any income at all -- while the government has declined to give a figure for how much the papal visit is costing the state.
    WYD spokeswoman Marieta Jaureguizar said that income will be equals to outcomes.
    "Income will be equals to outcome. We will be able to install more screens if we get enough sponsorship to do so because this is all about to avoid any charge neither for tax payers nor for the Spanish church. We cannot take money away from other things that are really essential. We understand that. That's why it is important to highlight that pilgrims are paying for their trip. They decide to come and take part," she said in Cuatro Vientos aerodrome.
    A government spokeswoman said the state was spending no more than would be expected for hosting an event of this size.
    Most of the costs were on extra security, including putting thousands of extra police on the streets of Madrid, she said
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