This Thursday, Pope Francis will be making an official visit to Luxembourg, and while some have waited their whole lives for the chance to meet the head of the Catholic Church, others are not as enthusiastic about the visit.

In a Sunday evening press release, the Atheist, Humanist, and Agnostic Alliance (AHA) expressed several concerns about Thursday's papal visit, particularly regarding its financing.

The AHA emphasised that "in a secular state, the use of public funds for religious purposes must be carefully scrutinised", and called on the government to provide full transparency on how state resources and taxpayers' money were being used to support the visit.

The organisation, which promotes a secular, humanist way of life, also questioned the religious neutrality of the Grand Duke's role as head of state, given that Pope Francis was officially invited on a personal invitation from Grand Duke Henri.

The AHA further stressed that, according to recent statistics, the majority of Luxembourgish citizens identify as "not religious."