David Schembri
Papal visit to cost around €750,000
50,000 faithful expected to attend Pope's Mass at the Granaries
Pope Benedict XVI's visit next month will cost the Church and the State a combined €750,000, according to initial estimates.
The pastoral secretary, Mgr Charles Cordina, yesterday said the Church would be spending around €500,000 on the visit of April 17-18, mostly since it had to build stages from scratch for the occasion.
Charles Bonello, who is coordinating operations on behalf of the State, said the visit would cost the government around €250,000, although he added that the figure had not yet been finalised as small things kept cropping up.
"Whenever a head of state visits we have to spend at least €40,000 on logistics.
"You can't compare a State visit with another, since you have to build the logistics depending on public interest," Mr Bonello said.
"Malta's reputation is priceless, and we cannot risk having a foreign journalist pick up on some mishap. If you compared this to other countries, you'll see we are really not spending that much."
He compared the expense to the Pope's four-day visit to the UK in September, which is slated to cost around £20 million (roughly €22 million).
Once the Pope leaves Malta, the Church might recoup some of its outlay since it plans to resell the materials used for the stages, built out of reusable and recyclable materials.
When he says Mass at the Granaries in Floriana, on April 18, the Pontiff might not have to wear a crown of thorns; however, he will be sitting on a cardboard throne as the designers strove to keep costs and environmental impact to a minimum.
The stage where Mass will be celebrated is being built in the middle of the Granaries, facing the Mall Gardens in Floriana.
Designer Carlo Schembri said the stage location was a natural one, "since the gradient of the granaries gave us the solution where the stage had to be. It's also a good thing that St Publius Church will be just at the side, since it's being used as a sacristy for the occasion."
A canopy will shelter the Pope from the mid-morning sun.
A large Cross will take centre stage, with the Pope sitting on its left hand side, while President George Abela will be sitting at the end of a path leading straight down from the Cross.
Architect Joe Bondin explained the symbolism: "The Cross is at the centre, representing Jesus, the Pope to the side, is His representative on earth, and this is all leading to bringing Christ to the Maltese, represented by the President".
The drive towards more inclusivity and participation is not limited to the stage. Readings during the Mass will be in Maltese, and the hymns, sung by the 260-strong choir, will be popular ones heard in churches across Malta.
For the Pope to be able to participate as well, the rest of the Mass will be said in English, with responses in English available on a booklet for the congregation.
The only variations to the Mass, to be transmitted live on the Italian television station Rai and threescore Catholic stations worldwide, will be that the Pope will recite the Regina Coelis at noon, and after Mass he will present Gozo Bishop Mario Grech with the Rosa d'Oro for the Ta' Pinu Sanctuary in Għarb.
The latter is a golden rose which used to be presented to Catholic queens in the past but is now being presented to Marian sanctuaries with a very strong following.
Mass will start at 10 a.m., with the Pope expected to arrive on the site at 9.30 a.m. in the Popemobile.
There will be 5,000 seats on the Granaries, with 4,000 available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis; 50,000 faithful are expected to turn up.
Wheelchair users and elderly people over 75 will also be catered for with designated areas and transport from their homes, while hearing impaired people will have sign language interpreters on site.
To allow all clergy to participate in Mass, the last Masses celebrated on the Sunday morning will be at 8 a.m.
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Kevin Cassar
Mar 26th 2010, 17:46
To all that are defending this wasteful spending of money I have one thing to say: Sit down for a moment and make an effort to think for a minute - How on earth does the same church that urges people to donate generously in mass collections because of its' great expenses etc. have this kind of money available in cash????? It is obviously a rhetorical question since people should know (though many deny) that the church is nothing but a government and public funded BUSINESS and a great one at that!!!! The church owns a bank, a tv station, a radio station, numerous property and sells icons, books etc etc (All for the benefit of your souls of course!)
Lisa Schembri
Mar 26th 2010, 14:34
Absolutely ludicrous!!!!
Norah Abela
Mar 26th 2010, 11:27
what a waste! dear mr clint muscat i don't care what the church does with its money and honestly id rather give charity to animal shelters and to promote better animal welfare...but to take 250,000 out of the tax payers money to bring a 'holy' person..now thats what makes me angry! this visit should be fully covered by church since visit is by church associated person fullstop!
A. Brincat
Mar 25th 2010, 21:53
@ Simon Abela.
1. Every time we wake up in the morning and go to work and pay taxes....yes we are helping others. We give daily bread to our family and help others with our sacrifices every day, at work, with friends, with others we know, and others we do not.
2. You do not know what others do in society. So please be more informed as all people are doing here are expressing sheer disgust at the huge amount of money to be spent
3. Every 1 cent donated to the church must be spent wisely
4. I am no saint. Actually I am a sinner. May God forgive me for all my sins.
5. May God forgive the people writing the Euro 500,000 cheque (nevermind the other 250k)
6. Last but not least. Next time people should consider donating directly to Dar Tal Providenza rather than in the collection chests at Sunday Mass. After all the Church has enough investment income to invite the Pope every year for the next 10 years
7 Peace be with you, my friend. May God give you wisdom. As a Roman Catholic I express my opinions without fear.
mark galea
Mar 25th 2010, 21:12
so according to david schembri, 750,000 is not much compared to the 22,000 000 spent by the uk for the pope's visit. well you're very wrong, divide these amounts by the respective country's population and you'll end up having each maltese person paying 1.87 compared to the 33c being paid by every british national. furthermore, when one takes into consideration the fact that the pope spent 4 days in the uk, compared to the 1 day in malta, every uk national ends up paying only 8c for one day, in simple terms every maltese person has paid almost 24 times the amount that every british national has.
Simon Abela
Mar 25th 2010, 11:38
Mr Muscat
I agree to what you said about teh church in Malta, the Church helped a lot of people in need. bust lets call a spade a spade. Church helped a lot of people. But let us say that the church has created devastion as well like in S.America and other countries.
Mr Muscat teh Catholic Churche goes beyond Malta" Catholic means Universal. I think spending this amount of money is not cost affective at all.
This is my opinion, take taht money & give it to the people in Hiati or Chile!!
Clint Muscat
Mar 25th 2010, 10:15
Jaqaw: Daniel Zerafa, M. Cassar, A. Brincat, Charmaine Marmara u dawk kollha li jahsbu li huma xi professuri:
inthom qieghidin tghinu l min hu fil bzonn f Malta?!
Inthom qieghdin taghtu s-sapport lil-koppji ghaz-zwieg?
Inthom qieghdin tmantnu it-trobbija ta tant tfal bi bzonnijiet specjali fid-dar tal-Providenza?!
Inthom qieghdin tohorgu l-flus minn butkhom biex tghinu in-nies fqar tar-rahal li tghixu fih?!
Inthom qieghdin tiffurmaw zaghzagh ahjar permezz ta youthwork?
Il-knisja hija pilastru fis-socjeta Maltija! u din mhix kwistjoni ta twemmin, imma ix-xoghol li taghmel il knisja fis-socjeta taghna huwa indimentikabbli!!
Izda tizbalja wkoll...BHALEK u BHALI, ghalhekk tippontax subajk lejha! ghax hemm l-erbgha l-ohra jippuntaw lejk!!
U qabel ma tipponta subghajk lejn il-knisja...inkluz jien, ejja nipruvaw naghmlu gid daqs kemm taghmel hi!! Imbaghad iggudikawa kemm tridu...
U wara kollox kulhadd ghandu l-agenda tieghu!! U kulhadd ghandu dritt li jesprimi l-agenda teighu!!
Mela halluha bi kwieta l knisja aa poplu tal bass li mohhu f haddiehor u ma jarax teighu.Ha twassal l-agenda taghha!!
Kevin Cassar
Mar 25th 2010, 13:08
Daniel Zerafa, M. Cassar, A. Brincat, Charmaine Marmara u dawk kollha li jahsbuha bhalhom inkluz JIEN ma nigbrux il flus minghand il poplu u l gvern fuq bazi li suppost qeghdin nghamlu x-xoghol ta Alla, u nippredkaw li ma ghandniex norbtu qalbna ma affarijiet tad dinja (inkluz il hajja) u mbaghad nghamlu bil kontra ta li nippredkaw. Ahna ma ghandniex privileggi specjali li tgawdi minnhom il knisja biex taghmel il gid li taghmel. Jekk trid tqabbel u tikkumpara l-ewwel irid ikollok xi haga komuni.
Simon Abela
Mar 25th 2010, 09:41
Instead of wasting this money. In Malta, go to Africa, and feed the needy.
David Caruana
Mar 25th 2010, 09:06
Papal visit to Malta to cost around €750,000.... Every year 15 million children die of hunger in this world. CATHOLIC PRIORITIES
Bertie O'Cassey
Mar 25th 2010, 08:12
ISTHU!!!!!! Il-Knisja tisthi missa fuq din.
Joe E Galea
Mar 25th 2010, 07:57
It's unbelievable in just a few days the obscene sum of 500K went up to 750K Eur. I bet that until the pope comes it will shoout up to 1Million Eur. Imagine how many poor people will be fed with this amount of money wasted on a quickie by the guy who made his best to cover up all those sex scandals.
Can the government tell us how much we taxpayers will be dishing out for this quickie visit?
Joe Fenech
Mar 25th 2010, 01:15
Ghall-fanfarunati, il-qzieh u l-hela ta' hin l-ewwel niehdu!! Poplu m'ghandux x'jaghmel!!!!!!!!!
NIspera wkoll li l-Fosos jigi irrestawrat ghall-hsara kollha li garrab bis-siment li ghamlu fuqu u l-piz li qed jerfa'.
Marco Ramunno
Mar 25th 2010, 00:52
Some people leave at every Sunday mass more than 5 euros a week as an offer. Therefore, why not charge a reasonable price of admission for such an event, and ensure that those 750,000 Euros end in the hands of those poor Maltese people who are too proud to admit so due to the social stigma and shame associated with such a situation?
Anthony Pace Gouder
Mar 24th 2010, 23:56
Pope Benedict XVI visit to Malta , total cost Eu750.000 ++++++++
Christ"s SERMON on the Mount , total cost ---NIL--- ! Fejn huma l-voluntieri ?
jcamilleri
Mar 24th 2010, 22:58
It goes on forever..... Always the same old pathethic arguments against all that is Christian, promoted by the Church or its members (that is not only the Pope, Bishops and clergy, but us all, common people). Who is the hypocrit. Christ himself was criticised by Judas, but Christ said "The poor are always with you.... Beware you look for me and do not find me."
PLease grow up, and if you're not interested shut up.
Daniel Zerafa
Mar 24th 2010, 21:31
WHAT A WASTE!!!!! I pity the Maltese Poor, I Pity the Hard working labourer, I pity the desperate families unwillingly waiting for bills condemning them to further desperation. I pity the social projects that helps society which lacks fund, I Pity the dire situation the country posses. I am not a christian or a religious believer, but at least i believe in humanity. YOU CHRISTIANS are taught to help the poor and the forsaken. IS IT HAPPENING OR WHAT? WHAT WOULD YOUR GOD ASK YOU THEN? WHAT YOU DID IN THIS LIFETIME DEAR CHRISTIAN BELIEVER?
JJ Creg
Mar 25th 2010, 10:20
Well said and not forgetting that the poors are tax-payers too.
M Cassar
Mar 24th 2010, 21:07
Make those 50 thousand faithful pay for a ticket. 5 euros each and we'll get the 250 thousand paid by the state back. To the church : Practice what you preach. It should not be about majestic materialism but poverty. And yet instead of helping the poor you will be spending the money on this? Nothing less than hypocritical. But then again it's your money but when it comes to the state we will not tollerate it, make a ticket of 5 euros for seating and make the faithful pay so that the state does not incur losses when we need it most. Other wise they can watch the event on tv like everyone else. Also get some tv licenses and charge stations for the event, local and foreign.
JJ Creg
Mar 24th 2010, 20:38
Mr. Bonello said: "Malta's reputation is priceless, and we cannot risk having a foreign journalist pick up on some mishap. If you compared this to other countries, you'll see we are really not spending that much."
''It is true that Malta's reputation is priceless'' while the global economy is hitting the drain, Greek is facing bankruptcy, Iceland....USA... and several more countries with an increasing poverty and Malta is spending £750,000.00 for Pope's visit. Oh! almost forgot to mention Malta's deficits... Why care to compare such expenditures with other countries then?
The media may be interested to highlight these...guess so..
A. Brincat
Mar 24th 2010, 19:09
How many hungry mouths of homeless people in Malta can you feed with Euro750,000? The winner of this competition wins a couple of pastizzi from Titotla pastizzeria in Floriana.
Charmaine Marmara'
Mar 24th 2010, 16:24
so today its 250k euro more ...more shame on the church at this point....