The Pope

Stu, I think you make a good point, but the riches of the Vatican seem to have questionable origins from way back. I am of the opinion that all chuches are/were non-profit organizations. Apparently not. Even more interesting is the fact that one of the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa, gave back to those in need everything she could. It would be interesting to learn how much money the Vatican donated to the victims of the tsunami as the Vatican is considered a government of its own.

I am sorry about the passing of the Pope, he was revered in the eyes of his followers and others of the world. He did his part to try and help steer his church in the proper direction. Rudy

and Charlie postponed his wedding yet he's s'posed to follow his mother, the head of the Church of England (which he might also be eventually) Henry the Eighth went to a lot of fuss not to be a catholic.

I think you're being over-critical. Catholic Charities is doing charity work for the poor, disaster victims, and addicted, ALL over the world ALL the time, not just for a short period after a single event; Mother Teresa was just one (albeit towering) example. They do MUCH more in a few days than the UN ever thought of doing in a year. I don't think any nation comes close, not even the US.

How much of that land is churches and schools and graveyards and convents, etc, and how much is pure investment or land assets willed to the chuch but not yet used or sold? Owning land means not renting land, leaving more available for charity work. If the church sold all its land assets in the UK, how would it operate? By renting, or are you willing to buy/own land out of the goodness of your heart and allow them to use it in perpetuity so they don't have to "own" it? Even as a "hard working person", if you were a devout Catholic, believing in the work of the church, and owned land but had no descendants, would you prefer to will it to the Church or to the government?

What would a "hard working person" like you need to contribute if all priests and nuns were paid a living wage and rented or bought homes? Or do they all need to be Mother Teresas to please you?

I understand that the Vatican has some very nice art and such that has been donated to it, or collected, over the past 2000 years, but that the operating budget of the Vatican itself is very small considering the size of the organization it oversees. Some pomp & circumstance is almost mandatory to establish the Pope as a respected player in the power struggles of nations and world leaders.

In the history of mankind there have been many more times the number of people slaughtered in the name of god - any god - than for any other excuse. Attila The Hun was a humanitarian compared to the crusaders.

Happy Trails To You

Any God? Bah.

I think if the World knew what the Vatican has in its vaults, the Church would be destroyed.

Blake

Forgot to mention a few important things:

1. I left out hospitals & clinics as a part of the land "riches" of the RC Church.
2. You describe the Church as "hounding" you for money... your government simply expects you to annually send the amount they decide you owe them (or extracts it from your pay, thereby asserting first priority over your personal needs) and throws you in jail if you don't pay it promptly (not to mention paying their cut at the gas pump, the department store, etc, etc, etc).... I prefer the hounding, thanks.

He was a good CEO and excellent PR of catholic.com but what did he do for humanity? Our species has progressed from sitting around the fire and fearing lighting, there is science and education now and the spiritual need are different. The church is out of touch with the current spiritual need of the people, scientifically they are 400 year behind since only in my lifetime it accepted Galileo was right!

I am wearing asbestos, flame away....

MG

Ok.

Well that seems to imply that there is no "Gods Word" and that religion is just a feel good tool.

Ok.

Ah, what a topic.......I think I will avoid this and try to just think, JAGUAR,JAGUAR,JAGUAR, until all theological thoughts are banished from my conciousness and I don't make enemies, either here, or in the afterlife!