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It is obscene FOR US to think of religous art treasures as a kind of currency, a form of fungible wealth. These are the precious religious cultural heritage of all Christians --- I could say, of the human race --- for which the Church serves --- sacrificially -- as guardian.

What would you rather have them do? Sell them? So they can adorn the walls of banks or airport concourses? Maybe they can go into the private collections of gay playboy fine arts speculators, or on the walls of some Saudi prince? Heck, sell the chalices to some Michelin 3-star restaurants for rich people's dining pleasure. They will be amused by the recollection that they were made to hold the Lord's precious Blood.

It is quite wrong to think of art this way. These objects were not given to the Church as private property in the market sense. They were given in trust, to be preserved, carefully curated and shared in a God-pleasing way --- and where poor people by the tens of thousands can see them: they were not made only for the rich. To sell them off so Melinda Gates or the Italian Parliament can flaunt them as status symbols, would be the sort of thing Henry VIII or the Soviet Ministry of Culture would do: a looting of the Church's patrimony, and a violation of fiduciary trust.

Rome can keep all the wealth it wants. I just find it highly hypocritical to talk about how financially strapped they are on one hand, and brag about their accumulated wealth on the other. And I doubt Rome sacrifices to keep its great wealth.
We wont go into the fact that a lot of the works were extorted from their makers, or the fact that Christ had no place to lay His head, but the organization that claims to have His direct representative on earth is the wealthiest on earth. Or that they wealthiest organization on earth has so many impoverished adherents that they still expect a monetary tribute from.
Does Christ approve of Rome? I don’t know, I guess we will find out eventually. But they will have to answer to the same standards the rest of us have.
The Church is made up of all true believers, is not an earthly organization and has no wealth - except the wealth of Christ Himself. Dont confuse the Church with the church in Rome.