Catholic faithful also pay their taxes

Sir — Gordon Cunningham (‘Let Pope pay his own way’, Letters, Sunday Independent, July 8) asks why Irish citizens should have to contribute funds to facilitate the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland.

They don’t have to. The expected cost of the proposed Papal visit is estimated at €20m. A statement from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin indicated that €5m has already been raised through church collections and the remainder will come from fundraising and perhaps a Vatican contribution.

However, I believe a contribution from the Irish State, if realised, would be appropriate.

I regard it as churlish and mean-spirited to oppose some State financial assistance for a visit to Ireland by the spiritual leader of the worldwide Catholic Church especially as the Catholic faithful are voluntarily contributing generously to the cost of the visit.

It may be a surprise to Mr Cunningham but Catholics also pay taxes here.

I do not recall similar opposition, when Queen Elizabeth II, as a head of state and head of the Church of England, visited Ireland at costs in excess of €40m at a time when our coffers were depleted and the country was teetering on the brink of financial armageddon.

Now it seems that the leader of the Catholic Church should only be welcomed to Ireland provided the entire cost of the visit is met by contributions from the public and other voluntary donations. If any other religion or religious leader was targeted as the Catholic Church is being targeted in this instance there would be a public outcry. Tom Cooper, Templeogue,

Dublin 6W