(LifeSiteNews) — The Spanish Bishops’ Conference is offering a private meeting with the Pope for benefactors who donate at least €500,000 ($584,000) to finance the Pope’s upcoming trip to Spain.
According to a dossier seen by Crux Now, the Spanish Bishops’ Conference has laid out a five-tier sponsorship plan to finance Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming trip to the country in June. The top two tiers, “Benefactor” and “Great Benefactor,” are being offered a meeting with the Pope.
Great Benefactors who donate between €500,000–€1 million ($584,000–$1.17 million) will receive a private meeting with the Roman Pontiff, reserved spaces at the events during the visit, as well as a working meeting at the Vatican.
The “Benefactors” option ranges between €250,000–€500,000 ($292,000–$584,000) and has the same benefits as those of Great Benefactors, except that the meeting with the Pope will not be private.
A spokesperson for the organizing committee for the Pope’s trip said the Spanish bishops hope to keep taxpayers from shouldering the burden of the papal visit.
“Requesting support, in this case, is our way of covering the material costs of a trip of this magnitude without these falling on taxpayers,” the spokesperson said.
“The Holy Father, like the Church in Spain, will, as usual, show a gesture of gratitude to all of them, as well as to many others – authorities, volunteers, etc. – in the form of a meeting,” they added.
“The launch and the actual holding of His Holiness’s trip will be funded thanks to the support of donors, ranging from large companies to small individual contributions, including donations and in-kind contributions, as well as the work of thousands of volunteers,” the spokesperson stated.
The total estimated cost of the trip is between €15–€30 million, according to Crux.
The Spanish bishops are offering potential donors the prospect of high media exposure for their companies, as they estimate the visit will see at least 1.5 million in-person attendees and a global TV audience of 500 million.
There is also the possibility of a tax deduction of up to 40 percent, 50 percent, or 90 percent in certain circumstances if the event is deemed to be of “exceptional public interest.”
During Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Spain for World Youth Day in 2011, a similar donation system was set up, which also caused controversy.
The concept of giving generous donors special treatment is generally very common; however, its connection to private access to the Pope has prompted some critics to accuse the Spanish bishops of engaging in usury and simony.