Community | September 14, 2010 | 8 comments

Thousands Of Tickets Remain Unsold For Pope's visit

Tickets for the Pope's visit to Britain haven't sold as well as organisers hoped; tens of thousands of tickets to an event in Birmingham, seen as the highlight of the Papal tour, remain unsold. 

The last visit from a Pope was John Paul II's in 1982, and he reportedly received a 'rapturous reception'. 28 years later, it seems the British public's enthusiasm has cooled a little. A recent survey revealed 77% of people questioned felt the taxpayer shouldn't have to contribute to the £20m cost of the trip, while 79% said they had "no personal interest" in the visit.

With the pope facing protests demanding action on clerical sexual abuse of children, it seems organisers must also grapple with public apathy.

10,000 fewer people are expected to watched Benedict XVI beatify Cardinal Newman at a Birmingham Park on Sunday, while the capacity of an open-air event has been reduced to 80,000 from 100,000 after tickets didn't get picked up as quickly as expected. 

A spokesman for Opus Dei said there was "huge excitement" and "no lack of enthusiasm from Catholics" about the upcoming papal visit but admitted there had been admin problems which mean there was a "redistribution of tickets going on now."


Links:

  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Faith
  2. tags:
    News,  News and Politics,  UK,  Religion,  2 more
  3.     
    |

8 comments // Thousands Of Tickets Remain Unsold For Pope's visit

  • themotivateddropout
  • ayipis
  • Teomat
    • +1
      Teomat  
    • ayipis:

      You emanate sheer consevatism and patriotism, yet you do not put that in the "about you" section of your profile. You have dissapointed me. -1 internets for you.

    • 1 year ago
  • AJILIVIZION
    • 0
      AJILIVIZION  
    • Image

    • http://current.com/entertainment/comedy/92374000_richard-dawkins-plotting-pope-a...

      Article:
      Richard Dawkins, the atheist campaigner, is planning a legal ambush to have the Pope arrested during his state visit to Britain “for crimes against humanity”.

      Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, the atheist author, have asked human rights lawyers to produce a case for charging Pope Benedict XVI over his alleged cover-up of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

      The pair believe they can exploit the same legal principle used to arrest Augusto Pinochet, the late Chilean dictator, when he visited Britain in 1998.

      The Pope was embroiled in new controversy this weekend over a letter he signed arguing that the “good of the universal church” should be considered against the defrocking of an American priest who committed sex offences against two boys. It was dated 1985, when he was in charge of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deals with sex abuse cases.

      Benedict will be in Britain between September 16 and 19, visiting London, Glasgow and Coventry, where he will beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th-century theologian.

      Dawkins and Hitchens believe the Pope would be unable to claim diplomatic immunity from arrest because, although his tour is categorised as a state visit, he is not the head of a state recognised by the United Nations.

      They have commissioned the barrister Geoffrey Robertson and Mark Stephens, a solicitor, to present a justification for legal action.

      The lawyers believe they can ask the Crown Prosecution Service to initiate criminal proceedings against the Pope, launch their own civil action against him or refer his case to the International Criminal Court.
      *************************************************************************
      Seems the Pope is not as dope as a Pope used to be. Let's all pray that Mr. Dawkins lands the arrest on Sith Lord Benedict XVI.

    • 1 year ago
  • CarolineS
  • saverio
  • CarolineS
  • timetide
    • 0
      timetide  

    • I wouldn't pay to see this Sith lord either. I loved John Paul the 2nd, but this guy reminded me why i should distrust and dislike the Catholic church.

    • 1 year ago
richjm
more from Community:
from the community

top videos