The government would not give details of a Christmas event at the Vatican that will cost taxpayers €300,000.

The financial allocation is included in the estimates of the Culture Ministry published with the Budget.

No explanation of the event was given in the Budget speech and according to a Culture Ministry spokeswoman the vote is intended for “a cultural project” which the government, in collaboration with the Archbishop’s Curia, is discussing with the Holy See for the 2016 Christmas period. “As in all new initiatives, full details will be given in due course,” she said.

This newspaper asked the ministry to say what the event will entail, the date, why it will be held and who will be involved. However, no information was given.

As in all new initiatives, full details will be given in due course

The amount allocated by the government far exceeds the sum allotted to a number of other initiatives, including an anti-tax evasion awareness campaign (€100,000), a seed capital fund administered by the University (€100,000) and a fund to compensate victims of crime (€1,000).

Since the announcement, many have decried the “squandering” of taxpayers’ money on a Christmas event at the Vatican.

“A Christmas activity in Rome is 300 times more valuable than help and compensation for victims of crime,” one commentator wrote sardonically in response to a report in the Times of Malta that compared a number of budgetary allocations.

“Are we all invited to the Christmas event in Vatican City,” another quipped.

kim.dalli@timesofmalta.com