How can the Vatican justify its wealth?

Ok, so they shamelessly steal billions of dollars from the poor and suffering, but that's okay because they spent inconsequential portions of their vast wealth on self-aggrandizing works of art. Seriously, the return on investment there is pathetic.

 

All the money the Church has is contributed voluntarily by Catholic laymen, many of whom are very wealthy.

The Church gets very little money from poor people, and gives more money to the poor than it takes in by a long shot.

But like I said, going to Mass is free. The sacraments are free. Even a wedding or a funeral is free. You are asked to pay a fee if you have a wedding or a funeral, but you never have to.

Go to a Catholic Church and if you are poor they will give you food, clothing, whatever you need with no questions asked.

The Catholic Church runs charities which will provide all sorts of help to people in need including the poor.

But you know all this.

Does your hate so overwhelm you that you can't see reality?

 

The reason the Catholic Church is hated by so many is because it is the voice of God on this Earth, so it is hated by Satan and all who follow Satan and obey his commands.

 

Abusing the poor?

Dude, without the Catholic Church helping poor people worldwide, there would be that many more people dying from disease, starvation, etc, etc.

Abusing the poor....lol. No institution on Earrh does more for the poor.

When are you going to go to a 3rd world country and help the sick and real poverty stricken people of the world? What is that? Don't have time or the want? Then I suggest you keep your mouth shut on the subject of who is and is not helping the poor b/c obviously you are not.

 

The wealth of the catholic church came from the time where the pope was both a temporal and a spiritual leader. Kings got their crowns from the Pope. The clergy owned lands and collected taxes. This stopped being so by the end of the 18th century with the French revolution and later with Napoleon.

Today, most of the catholic fortunes are in the form of historical building and art treasures that they can't really sell.

 

The catholic church is over a thousand years old. What are voluntary contributions today were mandatory tithes hundreds of years ago. Wealth builds on wealth. Even today, they lie to people about salvation and reap the benefits in these "voluntary" tithes from the poor. Why don't they tell the starving poor to keep their donations? I've never heard of a church refusing a person's donations, even if that person is in no position to be donating anything.

Which was not always the case. When has the church ever paid society back for what it took by force?

 

It's hated because it's a vile, manipulative, and dangerous organization responsible for a significant portion of human suffering over the last thousand years. They directly share a large portion of responsibility for the AIDS epidemics in Africa, for example.

 

I would it put it that way:

Beautiful churches are a thing of beauty and culture.
And they are pleasant to look at.
And they do not really make their owners wealthy.
On the contrary - they cost a lot of money.

 

Very well said!

 

It is more than TWO THOUSAND years old.

 

Well, the Catholic Church is the largest charity in the world and the largest that has ever existed, and it runs on a communist system so that no bishop, priest, monk or nun has any personal wealth. All their living expenses are paid for by the Archdiocese.

If you're looking at the structure of the Vatican itself, then you could say that our Presidents must be extremely wealthy since they live in the White House and have all those priceless paintings and antiques.

 

Very true!

 

Good point!

 

Are you saying that if someone wants to donate and beautify God's house, that he has no right to do so?

Oh, so now the Catholic Church is responsible for Aids. Interesting! What did they do, give the poor food infested with AIDS?

How can the largest charity in the world 'steal billions of dollars from the poor and suffering'? Wouldn't that be an oxymoron?

 

If a Church denied a donation, even if was only a penny from a homeless person, it would be denying that person a blessing from God. But that's something you would never understand unless you begin to free yourself from your negative state of mind.

What did the Church take by force? Please specify rather than making blank statements.

 

@Jeannette

For some people the Catholic Church is responsible for every evil in this world.
Now and forever.
They just like to think so.
I do not think so.
But there is no use argueing with these people - they will never change.

 

For starters, all the Vatican cares about are the starving papists. Next, there aren’t any. So, your question presents a what-if which doesn’t exist.

 

I would say the Catholic Church is a state because that's what it is it's the only thing that makes it different than any other Church no other church has borders.

They think they speak for God they think they are the emissary of God a lineage of prophets if you will. Thus I don't think it even crosses their mind that they have so much wealth and could build hospitals all over the world without taking a penny and donations from a single parishioner.

 

You may see it that way - but you see it wrongly.

 

What is a "papist" for you?
Long time ago it was a swear word that fanatical Protestants used to show their hatred of anything Catholic.
In my mind those days are long gone.
I would NOT support any hatred between different denominations of Christianity.

 

You never heard of the Vatican that is a city state.

 

The Vatican is a state.
The Catholic Church is not a state.

Btw: I have been personally to the Vatican and know about its existence.

 

Again:
The Vatican is a state.
The Catholic Church is not a state.

 

Papists aren't a denomination of Christianity.

Papist is the best description of their beliefs. They believe in the Popes.

 

Papist is a term that once was used as an insult.