Pilgrims pulling out of Pope visit claims Catholic church

Sep 1 2010 by Emma McKinney, Birmingham Mail

“I’m expressing the anguish and anxiety that’s been expressed to us by many of the older people in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. They are very concerned about getting up in the middle of the night and getting on coaches.

“I felt the security was draconian – meaning very rigorous.

“But I’m not criticising the security in any way – the government has to decide, not the Catholic church.”

The cost of policing the Pope’s four-day trip to Britain, which will include three open air masses in Birmingham, London and Glasgow, has been put at more than £7million.

Last month Bob Jones, head of finance at West Midlands Police, said the force may have no choice but to slash the number of its bobbies on the beat to fund its share of the bill for the visit.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said last week: “The government is working with local authorities and the police and has to balance security while working with the church to secure a good experience for pilgrims.”