Friday, March 29, AD 2024 10:42am

PopeWatch: Den of Thieves

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE

 

 

 

The Guardian reports on comments made by Pope Francis yesterday:

 

 

Pope Francis has condemned “profiteers” and “climbers” who use the Catholic church for financial gain as he embarks on Vatican reforms aimed at promoting greater transparency and doing more to help the needy.

“There are climbers in the church. There are a lot of them!” the pope said  during a morning mass in the Vatican residence where he has lived since being elected last year.

“People who follow Jesus for money, try to profit from the parish, the diocese, the Christian community, the hospital, the college,” he said.

“We have known a lot of good Catholics, good Christians … And then we discover that they have been carrying out somewhat shady dealings. They were real profiteers and they made a lot of money.” he said.

Go here to read the rest.  One of my favorite stories about Saint Francis, doubtless, alas, apocryphal, has Pope Innocent III  showing him the Vatican Treasury.  The Pope remarked, “No longer can Peter say neither silver nor gold have I!”  The Saint responded, “Neither can Peter any longer say, “Rise and walk!”

Money changers in the temple has been a perennial problem for the Church but it has grown worse over the past few decades with non-ordained bureaucracies growing like fat on a pig.  PopeWatch wishes Pope Francis success in his efforts to combat this waste of the hard earned donations of faithful Catholics.

 

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Mary De Voe
Tuesday, May 6, AD 2014 8:35am

All that the Vatican has is held in trust for all future generations. Man is to be honest stewards of God’s gifts.

Botolph
Botolph
Tuesday, May 6, AD 2014 9:39am

Amen, Donald

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