Spanish protests for Pope

Pope Benedict denounced economic structures that put profits ahead of people yesterday at the start of a trip to recession-hit Spain where the costs of the pontiff’s visit have sparked violent protests.

“The economy cannot be measured by maximum profit but by the common good,” Benedict said as the start of a four-day visit to Madrid as part of the Roman Catholic Church’s World Youth Day celebrations.

“The economy cannot function only with mercantile self-regulation but needs an ethical reason in order to work for man,” he said.

The Spanish economy is struggling to exit a recession which has left one in five unemployed, of which a large proportion are young people.

Disaffection over government spending cuts and a lack of job prospects has spawned a protest movement called Los Indignados (Indignant Ones) whose young supporters occupied Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square in May.

The costs of the Papal visit, being met by taxpayers, have reignited protests.