How can the Vatican justify its wealth?

I do not intend to take part in any fight between Catholics and Protestants.
Those days are over in Germany since about AD 1648 or so.

 

Are you a member of Ingsoc?

If Papists don't like being called Papists, they can stop being Papists by no longer believing in the Popes. You haven't come up with a reason why it is not an appropriate description. All you're saying is that you don't like the truth so you want people to stop saying the truth.

 

Good thing, I'm neither. Just stating facts Ingsoc doesn't want to hear.

 

Um... The Vatican is the Catholic Church.

 

Again the Vatican is the Catholic Church.

 

There are no papists.
Case closed.

 

2 + 2 = 5

Case Closed.

 

Not much different from other religions. Check out richest Christian pastors.
https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/8-richest-pastors-in-america.aspx

 

Heck, If they actually heal anyone they should get paid by the state.

 

I was raised in catholic culture, not faith, as where I live, catholic faith is fading away as a distant dream of a past time. I'm less shocked. Poor people have to live in constant ugliness, and I think everyone need beauty (as well some green space, but that's another debate).
In the past the catholic church offered a space as well decorated that the one of the powerfull, but even open to the most humble beggar. Should only rich people access to beauty ? Should poor people live only among ugliness ? Beauty seems something as essential to me than love, and church gave that to everyone.
I never grew up in christian faith, and that specific catholic one, however I'm always amazed by the beauty of those buildings. When museum cost moneys, church are always free to go.

So no, I don't think that art, beauty should be reserved to an elite, to people that can buy that. Obviously, you don't need gold leaves to offer beauty, but statues, art, they're something so natural to life. I don't say that we can't criticize the catholic church on the way their wealth, even if I won't do it on a personnal level, christianity was never my religion, my faith, the catholic church was never my church, even if I respect it as the one of my ancestor, but the last thing I would criticize the catholic church on is that : that even the beggar as a place in the magnificent palace of their god.

 

I think Protestants formed as a result of the strict laws of the Catholic Church and having part of their donations go to the Vatican while having their needs not met.. it’s like paying taxes to an unresponsive central gov. Not much different then why we succeeded from England.

 

A very good point!

 

Finally a logical post.

 

Ha ha….don’t be fooled
The church offers these services but everyone knows, they could lose their their charitable tax exemption status if they required payment for services. They’d be a business and their tax requirements would be different…..and much more

 

Oh, so the Catholics have more to gain financially by volunteering or working for a minimum amount of money, then making ten times as much because then the Church would lose its tax benefits? You got to be kidding?

So what if the RCC with its volunteers, and its low paid clergy and nuns didn't exist, what would it cost then for a State to run those institutions?

I recall a time when they tried to impose something on the Catholic Church in New York State that went against its teaching, and the Church said that rather than comply they would close all their institutions - and that was the end of that.

 

How do you figure they can make ten times as much, providing services no one needs ? You didn’t think your comments out did you ?

 

What institutions are those ? What institutions does the church provide that you can’t get cheaply elsewhere ? You’re talking like clergy and nuns provide some kind of service. What is it?

 

I agree.

 

It seems that for you the Catholic Church is 100 % just all bad and nothing else.
I think that the Catholic Church may have bad points, but also a lot of good points.
"The truth is in the middle" - as is often the case.

 

I suppose that the pride and arrogance of the catholic church led to protestantism. During the middle-age there was many "heresies" that announced in their manner the rise of protestantism. I would set apart catharism which by some of its aspects were going far away from classical christianity, I'm speaking specifically to Hussites and Waldensians, which as far as I know wanted mostly a more "pure" church, they d idn't wanted to leave the church.
A lot of popes behaved badly, and defiance toward the pope existe for a long time during middle-age.
But that arrogance and pride didn't caused the lost of only the catholic church on that matter. I suppose it's why many religions decline also, when their leaders become too arrogant and authoritarian. I heard there is a decline of religiousness in many regions, among americans, but also in some muslim countries.

 

Nope, it’s about the laws and money. Obviously not understanding that is a rejection of history.
Besides, today it also includes a different reason. The Catholic Church has officially recognized the science of evolution. Aamof, early monks contributed to its development.

With well more then1/2 of the republican orthodoxy rejecting it, there is little reason for them to believe or understand much biology the foundation of medical science. Why would they believe in vaccinations. It’s beyond their comprehension. It’s obvious in the discussions.

 

You think any church which has tax exempt status is going to jeopardize that ? That’s funny.

 

The Catholic Church is able to learn.
As I said: The Catholic Church is not 100 per cent bad, as that cliché goes - and as some would like to see it.

 

I do not see what you mean.

 

I didn’t think so.