In September 2010, Pope Benedict XVI made an official state visit to the UK, touring the country and visiting leaders in a converted Mercedes colloquially referred to as the “Popemobile." The state visit lasted three days and cost the UK taxpayers £10 million (excluding policing costs), much to the ire of the majority of the (non-Catholic) British public. Organizers of the event defended the costs, saying that the Pope, as head of state of Vatican City, should be considered a diplomat on an official state visit. This controversy highlights an important issue in an era where religious faith is waning and the influence of the church is approaching a nadir in global politics: Do we need the Pope anymore?
Historically, yes, the pope was very relevant. All leaders in the Christian world held unswerving allegiance to the pope for over a millennium, and the actions carried out by those leaders at his behest had repercussions far outside of Christendom. It could be argued that he played a necessary role then; as the infallible representative of God on Earth, he was in a unique position to serve as power broker between feuding monarchs in an era otherwise marked by unfettered bloodshed, anarchy, and chaos.
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