The papal visit has left the Church in Britain facing a shortfall of up to £3.5 million, it emerged this week.
The Church has raised £6.5 million for the papal visit so far, mostly from private donors, but the cost is estimated to be £10 million.
A spokeswoman for the Church said the exact cost would not be known for some months. She said the collection before the visit raised £1.4 million.
The last papal visit in 1982 left the Church deeply in debt. The Church funded it entirely, as it was a pastoral visit. This year the costs were shared with the state.
