Pope's Visit to Britain
abracad, · Categories: in the newsThe BBC Have Your Say site has been running a debate on who should pay for the Pope Benedict's state visit to Britain scheduled for later this year. As it is a state visit much of the cost will be met by the UK taxpayer. Many of the contributed comments oppose this arrangement, suggesting that the Church should meet the costs of the visit.
Like much of the world, Britain is still suffering the effects of the "credit crunch" and is carrying a vast national debt, the paying down of which will affect just about everyone. And of course the Catholic Church has received negative recent press over the alleged cover-up of child abuse.
Even against this backdrop the revealed hostility to (funding) the Pope's visit highlights the current trend of materialist superiority in modern society. It also calls into question the role of Spirituality (not necessarily Christian or Catholic) in the same.
Despite the exponential march of technology, just consider the achievements of the past century (a mere speck on the totality of mankind's history), are we really any happier for it? Having the latest gadgets can't begin to compensate for the isolation of lacking a clear purpose to our existence. Many of us work longer hours than ever, and psychiatrists have never been busier with sufferers of stress-related conditions. Surely the eternal need for a sense of meaning has never been stronger than now.
Given the current climate it would be expedient for the Church to offer to meet the bulk of the cost of the Pope's visit. But, whether Catholic, Christian or other, would it not serve each of us well to at least acquaint ourselves with the message of truly Spiritual men such as Pope Benedict.
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