Anger in crisis-hit Spain at cost of Pope’s visit

THE cost of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Spain next week is coming under fire from lay groups — and even some priests — at a time when people are suffering from painful budget cuts.

The pope arrives in Madrid on August 18 to attend the final four days of the Roman Catholic Church’s six-day youth festivities, expected to draw more than one million faithful.

Organisers of the World Youth Day celebrations put the price tag of staging the event, before security costs, at €50-60 million. This includes the cost of building a 656ft long stage at the Cuatro Vientos aerodrome — where the pope will deliver the final Mass of his visit on August 21 — and decorating it with a giant metal tree.

It also pays for setting up hundreds of water fountains and 20 giant screens at the aerodrome, and installing showers at the public schools for pilgrims.

Organisers say 80% of the cost of the event will be financed by payments from the young pilgrims, with the rest coming from donations by companies and individuals.

But critics argue corporate sponsors are eligible for tax rebates of up to 80% of the amount they donate as the government declared World Youth Day celebrations to be an event of “exceptional public interest”.

The Priests Forum, a group of 120 priests from Madrid’s poorest parishes, has criticised this loss of state revenues, especially as the government has slashed social spending and salaries.

Opponents of the pope’s visit have set up a Facebook page calling for a boycott of over 100 corporate sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Telefonica and Banco Santander.