Britain Shouldn't Fund Pope's Visit

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igik-zEScUfnpJmEzUO6o9LjS0Dw

Government funding of the Pope’s visit to Britain would be an insult to secularism. Thankfully, plans to fund the visit have received protest.

“Secular campaigners handed a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office on Thursday protesting Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit and saying taxpayers should not foot the bill.
The National Secular Society estimated the trip later this year would cost some 20 million pounds of public money and urged the government not to spend taxpayers' cash on the visit.
About 28,000 people signed the petition over three weeks, the society said.”

One look at the splendour of the Vatican doesn’t bode well for the idea that the Pope would be strapped for cash. By funding this trip the government is practically endorsing the Pope and Catholicism contrary to the ideals of separation of Church and State.