Notes for “Secret costs of papal trips”

The poll and comments in the box are by Dr. González Gaitano, dean of the faculty of institutional communication of Rome's Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. (Zenit, 15 January 2009 and 3 May 2010) As can be seen from "Timeline: US Church sex scandal" (BBC, 2007), the Pope's 2008 visit only took place after the media had stopped reporting on the priest abuse in the US.

1. This is how diplomatic protocol works, as was implicitly acknowledged by the Catholic Church in the UK when a spokesman referred to the forthcoming papal visit as "which, crucially, had been instigated and would be paid for by the Westminster government". Quoted in Shân Ross, "Scots cardinal defiant after Pope criticises equality law ahead of visit", Scotsman,  3 February 2010. http://news.scotsman.com/news/Scots-cardinal-defiant-after-Pope.6036961.jp

2. "Pope criticises equality law ahead of visit", Guardian, 3 February 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/01/pope-condemns-british-equality-bill

3. Piers Marchant, How to be pope, 2005, p. 99-100. [Don't be put off by the facetious title: the author is a respected travel writer who knows his stuff.]

4. “Vatican ‘asks Brazil for extra £26 million for Pope Francis visit’”, Telegraph, 4 Jul 2013. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/brazil/10160647/Vatican-asks-Brazil-for-extra-26-million-for-Pope-Francis-visit.html

5. "Partial Indulgence Will Be Granted For Those Who Pray During the Celebrations", Zenit, 9 July 2013.  http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-decrees-plenary-indulgence-for-world-youth-day

6. Damien Cave, "Monster Trucks on the Road, From Gangs in Mexico", New York Times, 7 June 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/world/americas/08mexico.html 

7. "Exército assume segurança interna da missa do papa em Guaratiba", Veja, 10 July 2013. http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/brasil/jmj-exercito-assume-seguranca-interna-do-campus-fidei

"Exército vai barrar manifestantes na missa do papa em Guaratiba", Veja, 11 July 2013. http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/brasil/jornada-da-juventude-exercito-vai-barrar-manifestantes-em-guaratiba

8. "Fears for pope's safety as Rio riots", Guardian, 19 July 2013. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/19/rio-riots-pope-security-fears

9. "Opus Dei Prelate at WYD Meets With 6,000 Youth", Zenit, 6 August 2013.  http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/opus-dei-prelate-at-wyd-meets-with-6-000-youth

10. A Student's Guide to Bioethics, Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, 2013.
http://lejeuneusa.org/sites/lejeuneusa.org/files/prepress_manual_13050027.pdf

p. 16: "abortion is an attack on the very nature of woman, which is to be a mother"
 
11. "The Pope's Difficult Visit to His Homeland", Spiegel, 20 September 2011. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,787314-2,00.html

12. Evaristo Villar: "la vía de la ostentación, del espectáculo, del poder y de la teatralidad", quoted in:

Sergio Colado, “El Papa fue a Valencia y ahora los contratos están en los tribunales, ¿qué habrá esta vez?” El plural, 12 August 2011. http://www.elplural.com/politica/cuando-el-papa-fue-a-valencia-todo-eran-alabanzas-y-ahora-los-contratos-estan-siendo-juzgados-por-la-gurtel-%c2%bfque-habra-esta-vez-detras-de-la-funcion/

13. "Cost of Pope's trip to Spain facing scrutiny", Digital Journal, 11 August 2011. http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/310194

14. "Grupos de laicos y católicos critican el gasto público por la visita del Papa a Madrid" ("Lay and Catholic groups criticise public spending on the Pope's Madrid trip"), El Pais, 28 June 2011. 

15. "Los indignados de Rouco", El Pais, 31 July 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/reportajes/indignados/Rouco/elpepusocdmg/20110731elpdmgrep_8/Tes

16. "Between a million and 1.3 million" according to the Government of Madrid:

"10.000 agentes velarán por la seguridad en la "visita de alto riesgo" del Papa a Madrid", El Pais, 7 July 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/10000/agentes/velaran/seguridad/visita/alto/riesgo/Papa/Madrid/elpepiespmad/20110707elpepunac_11/Tes

"Up to 1.5 million" according to (tactful) Government spokesman Jose Blanco: 

"On World Youth Day visit, pope urges Spain to preserve Christian roots", Deutsche Welle, 18 August 2011. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15324458,00.html 

17. "Los indignados de Rouco", El Pais, 31 July 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/reportajes/indignados/Rouco/elpepusocdmg/20110731elpdmgrep 

18. "Ocho detenidos y 11 heridos tras la marcha laica contra los gastos del viaje papal", El Pais, 18 August 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/detenidos/heridos/marcha/laica/gastos/viaje/papal/elpepunac/20110818elpepinac_6/Tes 

19. "Spanish priests join opposition to costly papal visit", Guardian, 9 August 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/09/spain-priest-oppose-pope-visit

20. "La visita del Papa en agosto deja sin vacaciones a funcionarios públicos" ("The Pope's visit leaves no August holidays for public officials"), El Pais, 21 June 2011.

(The Dept. of Education said that it will have to bear the costs, the WYD organisers said they will pay any bills sent in to them and the Madrid city administration declined comment.)

21. "Protest at Cost of Pope's Visit to Spain", Suite101, 11 August 2011.
http://www.suite101.com/content/protest-at-cost-of-popes-visit-to-spain-a384095

22. "Catholic groups protest papal visit costs for Spain", Concordat Watch. http://www.concordatwatch.eu/topic-47304.843

23. "10.000 agentes velarán por la seguridad en la "visita de alto riesgo" del Papa a Madrid", El Pais, 7 July 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/10000/agentes/velaran/seguridad/visita/alto/riesgo/Papa/Madrid/elpepiespmad/20110707elpepunac_11/Tes

24. "La visita del Papa en agosto deja sin vacaciones a funcionarios públicos" ("The Pope's visit leaves no August holidays for public officials"), El Pais, 21 June 2011.

25. "Los sindicatos rechazan que los peregrinos del Papa acampen en los colegios públicos", El Pais, 15 August 2011. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/sindicatos/rechazan/peregrinos/Papa/acampen/colegios/publicos/elpepiespmad/20110608elpepusoc_16/Tes

26.  "Catholic groups protest papal visit costs for Spain", Concordat Watch. http://www.concordatwatch.eu/topic-47304.843

27. "120 curas de Madrid censuran el coste de la visita del Papa" ("120 Madrid priests criticise cost of Pope's visit"), El Pais, 21 June 2011
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/120/curas/Madrid/censuran/coste/visita/Papa/elpepuesp/20110621elpepunac_18/Tes

For the letter itself, go to their website: "Foro de 'Curas de Madrid' " http://forocurasdemadrid.org/
Declaraciones del Foro de Curas de Madrid
Sobre la Jornada Mundial de la Juventud

28. "Grupos de laicos y católicos critican el gasto público por la visita del Papa a Madrid", El Pais, 28 June 2011.
 
29. "Spanish union calls strike on day of pope's visit", AFP, 20 October 2010. http://www.expatica.com/es/news/spanish-news/spanish-union-calls-strike-on-day-of-pope-s-visit_104614.html

30. "Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol Speaks Out on the Upcoming Visit of the Pope of Rome to Cyprus", Phileleftheros (Cypriot newspaper), 23 May 2010. http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/metropolitan-athanasios-of-limassol-speaks-out-on-theupcoming-visit-of-the-pope-of-rome-to-cyprus/

31. Raphael Vassallo, "Who pays for Pope’s visit?", Malta Today, 3 March 2010. http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2010/03/03/t6.html

32. Francesca Vella, "Ministry mum over roadwork costs, flower planting at ‘normal’ seasonal levels", Malta Independent, 11 April 2010. http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=104432

33. Raphael Vassallo, "Pope’s visit: expenses unknown", Malta Today, 20 January 2010.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2010/01/20/t9.html

34. "Organizing a Papal Trip: Interview With Malta Official, Charles Bonello", Zenit, 16 April 2010. http://www.zenit.org/article-28927?l=english

35. Francesca Vella, "Ministry mum over roadwork costs, flower planting at ‘normal’ seasonal levels", Malta Independent, 11 April 2010. http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=104432

36. Ibid.

37. According to Acts 27:41 - 28:1 St. Paul's ship struck a reef, the stern broke up and the crew had to swim ashore on Malta.

38. Richard Owen, "Papal trip ends in chaos as teens die in stadium crush", Irish Independent, 23 March 2009 .http://www.independent.ie/world-news/africa/papal-trip-ends-in-chaos-as-teens-die-in-stadium-crush-1682336.html

39. Amnesty International “Above the law - police brutality in Angola”, 12 September 2007. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/reports/above-the-law-police-brutality-in-angola-20070912

40. "World Youth Day bill $100m over budget", Sydney Morning Herald, 26 November 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/youth-day-ran-100m-over-budget/2008/11/26/1227491636595.html

41. Matthew Moore, "Pope's visit too sensitive to talk about", Brisbane Times, 20 September 2008.  http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/opinion/popes-visit-too-sensitive-to-talk-about/2008/09/19/1221331201841.html 

General counsel at Premier's Department, Leigh Sanderson, wrote again to the Herald late yesterday explain precisely the position of WYD 2008. "WYD 2008 advised the department during third-party consultation that the document 'should not be released on the basis that it is subject to a number of exemptions available to [the Premier's Department] under the FoI Act'," Sanderson wrote. "A number of specific exemptions were cited and WYD 2008 expressed the view that these exemptions applied." 

42. "Catholic Church's World Youth Day comes at a high cost", Courier Mail, 8 March 2008. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23345091-27197,00.html

43. "Success is in the eye of the holder", Sydney Morning Herald, 19 November 2008. http://www.concordatwatch.eu/showtopic.php?org_id=872&kb_header_id=28331

44. "Pope's visit too sensitive to talk about", Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/matthew-moore/2008/09/19/1221331201841.html

45. "World Youth Day bill $100m over budget", Sydney Morning Herald, 26 November 2008. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/youth-day-ran-100m-over-budget/2008/11/26/1227491636595.html

46. "Près de 4 000 policiers pour assurer la sécurité du pape', Le Figaro, 17 June 2008. http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2008/06/18/01016-20080618ARTFIG00014-presde-policiers-pour-assurer-la-securite-du-pape.php

47. As with all papal trips the figures for Brazil are vague, since it is in neither the Vatican's interest nor in the politician's interest to reveal how much of the taxpayers' money they are spending. Below is a translation from a Brazilian paper: "Papa Bento XVI no Brasil", Veja, February 2007. http://veja.abril.com.br/idade/exclusivo/perguntas_respostas/visita_papa/index.shtml#12

There are no precise estimates of how much the papal visit will cost the public and private coffers. Some predictions, however, are that the five days that Benedict XVI will spend in the country will cost at least 50 million Brazilian reais [about 28 million US dollars or 18 million British pounds] - more than 10 million reais a day. Both the cost of the structures for the major events in São [Paulo] and the renovations to the Monastery of St. Benedict [in São Paulo where the Pope and his 12 advisors stayed] were not disclosed by the Church. What is known is that, according to the directors of the event, even just the 5th General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean in Aparecida, will cost 2.5 million reais. The city's mayor, José Luiz Rodrigues, expects to spend 10 million reais in arrangements to accommodate the faithful, and [the Catholic Bishops' Conference in] Aparecida should receive further 10 million in investments [!] by the federal government, the Church, and private initiatives. Alone the renovation of the papal apartments in the city will cost 3 million reais. Also the visit of the pope to Guaratinguetá [for the day] accounts for expenditure of 500,000 reais and Hope Ranch on the outskirts of the city, will spend 2 million [reais] to make their facilities suitable for the Pope.

48. "Pope signals new 'vigour' to Catholicism in Latin America", Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 9 May 2007. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/americas/news/article_1302471.php/Pope_signals_new_vigour_to_Catholicism_in_Latin_America

49. David Fleischer, [professor emeritus at Universidade Nacional de Brasília], Brazil Focus, Weekly Report: 5-11 May 2007. http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:pBjVACaQD_gJ:www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/BFDF05112007.doc

Reportedly, the Vatican was quite “upset” that Brazil was unable to organize (and pay for) the Pope’s return air trip to Rome.  Brazil claimed that it “consulted with Varig and TAM and neither airline had a plane available to this trip on 13th May.  Thus, Alitalia will fly the Pope home (paid for by the Vatican) on the same Boeing 777 plane.  This plane will be “idle” (parked) at Guarulhos airport for 5 days awaiting the Pope’s return trip.

50. “Pope signals new 'vigour' to Catholicism in Latin America”, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 9 May 2007.

51. Mittelbayerische Zeitung, 1 February 2006. http://www.denk-mit.info/gesellschaft/papstbesuchundsteuererhoehung.html

52. Oleg Varfolomeyev, “Pope’s Ukraine visit stirs protest”, CNN, 23 June 2001. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/06/23/pope.background/index.html

53. Roman Woronowycz, “The Pontiff’s Ukrainian roots”, The Ukrainian Weekly, Vol. LXIX, No. 26, p. 17, 1 July 2001. http://www.scribd.com/doc/12842698/The-Ukrainian-Weekly-200126

54. “Mehr Mitsprache von Laien in der Kirche gefordert”, Wir sind Kirche, 25 May 2006. http://www.wir-sind-kirche.de/?id=129&id_entry=325

55. Bild, 4 February 2000.