We Could Always Tax The Catholic Church

Pope Problems: Papal Visit Incurs Significant Taxpayer Expense:

Pope Francis has landed and American taxpayers are footing the bill.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the World Meeting of Families agreed on Friday to shoulder Philadelphia’s costs for hosting the pope. The Meeting is sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family and is held every three years in a different world city. This year, it’s located in Philadelphia.

“The contract is backdated Sept. 10 and states that the nonprofit was to have provided the city with a security deposit of $2.5 million on Sept. 14,” wrote the Inquirer’s Brian Moran. The fees will cover various police, emergency, sanitation, and other city services, as well as a license for a papal parade down public highways.

But taxpayers will also incur substantial costs for the pope’s American tour, which will include stops in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C. For example, public funds will be used to pay for millions of dollars in security costs incurred by the Secret Service and other federal agencies.

At Fortune magazine, Michal Addady notes that the federal government typically foots the bill for D.C.’s security needs, but that there’s a real chance the $4.5 million annually budgeted for this purpose won’t be enough to cover the cost of the pope’s visit.

 I think this must be another example of evil atheists persecuting Christians.