£19,000 for a game of table tennis with the Pope... sort of

People travel from all over the world for the chance to catch even a glimpse of the Pope wherever he goes.
But one company is offering fans of Pope Francis the opportunity to enjoy an up close and personal meeting with His Holiness in Vatican City - all with the unlikely backdrop of a world table tennis festival, where the Pope has been invited to open a panel discussing the impact of technology and human connections.

While Pope Francis has embraced technology perhaps more than any of his predecessors, owning an official Twitter and Instagram account, launched earlier this year, he’s also emphasised the importance of human interaction and “unplugging” in order to better connect with people. The World UnPlugNPlay Festival, taking place in Vatican City from August 29-31, encourages tech addicts to unplug from their electronic vices for at least 15 minutes a day.

The “once-in-a-lifetime” meeting with the Pope forms the highlight of the lavish $25,000 (£19,067) package available through IfOnly, a website offering experiences that benefit charitable causes, which has partnered with Killerspin, the organisers of the three-day festival that alongside tech talks features a ping pong tournament.
In addition to the private “meet & greet” and photo with the Pope before he addresses the crowd in St Peter’s Square, visitors will also be given a private tour of the Vatican, the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and the Palazzo Colonna, and enjoy a gala dinner on the terrace of the Vatican Gardens.

Following the festival, guests will enjoy a two-night stay at Forte Village, a luxury resort in Sardinia. The package includes transfers but not flights.