How can the Vatican justify its wealth?

How can the Vatican justify its wealth when there are starving "christians" all over the world? My personal take on it is that the catholic religion has been and always will be nothing more than a business to generate wealth and power for a few by preying on the weak minded...
Happy to hear some views on this though.

 

It helps carry out its preaching of poverty by making sure that there is less wealth to make others rich. It's really selfless when you think of it.

It makes you wonder of all the things that no one but the Vatican have seen for centuries.

 

Since they keep it for all human kind, they have no problem taking as much as they can from who ever they can.

 

Well, marble floors is obviously more important than giving a starving child food.

 

Having been raised Roman Catholic, and visited Catholic churches in Europe (including the Vatican) and Mexico, as well as various ones in the states, I cant defend the exhibition of wealth in them (lots of gold leaf, statues, & art) while keeping their priests & nuns under the thumb of their vow of poverty. Putting all that wealth (esp in S. America) in bldgs where poor ppl attend, in the guise of setting up "God's throne room" here on earth for them to be a part of. It is truly very sad...

 

Anti-Catholic Troll.

 

Parish priests don't take a vow of poverty, ordered priests (and nuns) usually do.

If the Vatican would sell all of the Catholic church's treasures and spend that money on the poor, the treasures would be in the hands of rich people, and the money would be gone in a year. Much of what is in the Vatican is allowed to be viewed by the people for free and has been for hundreds of years. Not a perfect solution, but as good as anything else.

 

Possibly, but that doesn't mean it isn't a legitimate question. I'm sure it's not the first time it's been asked either.

 

And likewise may I respond with, "Blinded follower of the traditions & doctrines of man"

 

So, abusing the poor to gain more wealth is the catholic way ?
I'd advise moral people to stay away from it then.

 

Seems like a legitimate question. To possess a palace and possess billions of dollars just seems a bit odd.

 

Amen to that... I think people don't realize just how expensive it is to maintain all of the beautiful interiors and architecture.

 

The media bosses focus hate against various ethnic groups (like Catholics) so that the real thieves (like Goldman Sachs) can escape blame. The Catholics receive voluntary contributions. Lobbyists demand taxpayer dollars for pampered corporate fatcats. Let's not forget who is really robbing the people!

Catholics perform numberless acts of charity. Here are just a few examples:

Catholic Relief Services

Maryknoll Lay Missioners

Pax Christi peace organization

Catholic Charities

And the Church runs some of the best art museums on earth at the Vatican, also a worthwhile endeavor.

 

Catholic isn't an ethnic group.

 

Last time I checked- and to be fair, it was about a decade ago, the Vatican and all its holdings are worth three Trillion dollars- forget billions. This is more than most nations and puts the RC faith as one of the most cash-strapped institutions in the world.

But of course you'd have to appraise (and in theory sell) the Vatican's holdings, which is a difficult task to do and would require a MAJOR effort from institutions and individuals to achieve.

Those Michaelangelos? They were bought and paid for 400 years ago. Sure they are priceless but they are free art to the Vatican. And once they're gone, they're gone.

One of my main arguments against the RC faith is their adaption to succulent, wealthy trappings for their holies. But when you think about it, if they're holy, then whip out the gold leaf because it is priceless.

There will be no auction for RC holdings because they operate in a positive cash flow. And when it turns negative, churches close. It's as simple as that- the whole benefit from the contributions of their many donors keeps their doors open.

 

It doesn't. The catholic church is pretty shameless about their profiteering.

 

There was a Pope once in recent memory who actually tried to implement a sell off of Church Property for the purpose of generating cash for alms for the poor.

Lets ask him what happens when you try stuff like that in the Vatican.

"Your eminence, what happens when you try to REALLY reform the Church?"

Pope John Paul I: "You get poisoned within 30 days of assuming the throne"

 

The Vatican has always been a sponsor of the arts and therefore has made the world a better place.

The Vatican makes this art available to everyone in the world who wants to tour the Vatican.

If the Vatican sold off its art collection these priceless works of art would disappear into private collections and would be enjoyed only by the wealthy people who own them.

You people are haters.

 

Goofy conspiracy theory.

 

ethnic = pertaining to or characteristic of a people, especially a group (ethnic group) sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, or the like.

LINK

 

I thought so too at first, but within a year of the Pope's death a ton of mafia related murders in the vatican happened. Basically everyone involved in the entire Vatican bank scandal was murdered including a couple Italian politicians and police officials.

It's one thing if it was just the Pope that died and that was the end of it, but everyone involved with the entire scandal and scams the Pope was uncovering and trying to out was murdered as well. One death is mysterious, a half dozen deaths all related to the same investigated crime and involving heavy La Cosa Nostra involvement that is proven is definitely something to consider.

 

The same with the JFK conspiracy theory - always lots of mysterious deaths. Do you have some proof?

 

TBH, it is nothing new with the Catholic Church. Throughout its History the Church, the Popes, the Cardinals the Bishops have lived lavishly, have hoarded wealth and many Popes lived like heads of a medieval kingdom. One of the biggest gripes Luther and others had with the Church was the widespread abuse of Indulgences and the amount of money the Church was taking from people for them.

At the same time, as in the article below, you had local parishes and priests who were paid poorly, had churches that were in bad shape and the money stayed at the top with the Bishops, Cardinals and money went into the construction and maintenance of the most lavish and renowned churches.

Then more recently, have issues like they have been having in Germany:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,700513,00.html

My favourite part of the article

"Church Pays no Taxes and is Unsupervised

In return, the church is not even required to pay taxes: no property tax, no corporate tax and no capital gains tax. Everything it does as a public corporation in Germany is considered charitable, benevolent and tax-exempt. Unlike other public corporations like universities, the church is not subject to any state supervision.

According to church law, "the Catholic Church has the innate right, independently of secular power, to acquire, own, manage and sell assets for the attainment of its own purposes." Defending this "innate right" and the billions backing it is one of the central functions of bishops."

I don't think its the case of just Germany having this sort of Issue with the Catholic Church, especially when there can be no transparency with them.

 

Would you describe an Irish Catholic and an Argentinian Catholic as being part of the same ethnic group?

 

I take it you believe the Church should be subservient to the state?