MEXICO
Los Angeles Times
Laura Tillman
As Mexico prepares for the Friday arrival of Pope Francis, not everyone is looking forward to the visit.
How much the trip is costing — and whether that money would be better spent combating poverty, disease, unemployment and other problems the Pope himself has championed — has become a vibrant debate in a country where more than 80% of the population is Catholic.
One newspaper, Milenio, estimated that state and municipal governments will have spent nearly $10 million by the end of the six-day visit.
One Twitter user, Luisa Grisales, cited that estimate in a tweet, saying it would be better spent on education, health and creating jobs. …
Other critics of the trip wanted to know: Why won’t Pope Francis be meeting with victims of sexual abuse by clergy? Will the visit draw much-needed attention to the country’s problems, or is it just a diversion from poverty and other problems?
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