The Poop can gtf.
He's making the trip a 'State visit' (cause the Vatican is, legally, a State, but that's an argument for another day) instead of a 'pastoral visit'. Basically because of this, we're paying (probably nearer double this figure) in excess of £20 million to fund this man coming here to tell us how to live our lives - which no other head of State would be allowed to do. He doesn't need our money to come over (recent estimates put the wealth of the Vatican at approximately $50 billion). The thing is that no one has said we we NEED to pay for it, just that we HAVE to - which leads back to the point about being a State (they're taking advantage of a treaty signed by Mussolini meaning they get the benefits of being a State without any of the responsibility - something which needs addressed). I think most of the costs will be the policing of the events. No tax payer should ever have to foot the bill for a religious figurehead travelling here. Simple as that. If he wants to visit us, brilliant, I couldn't give a fuck, hope he has fun. If he wants US to pay for it because he can make us do that, then I've got a problem.