Posted on 06/03/2012 6:01:24 AM PDT by MeneMeneTekelUpharsin
Families from rich countries could sponsor families from poor ones, Pope Benedict XVI suggested Saturday at a gathering of around 350,000 people at a park just north of Milan.
The pope was speaking at the latest event in a three-day visit to Milan, part of the Church-sponsored World Meeting of Families, a relaxed and festive setting that has been a welcome distraction from recent crises at the Vatican. Speaking without notes before an enthusiastic crowd at the Bresso park, the pope proposed a new twist to the system under which cities in different countries "twin" with each other.
His suggestion that families from rich countries could act as sponsors for families from poorer ones drew enthusiastic applause from his audience. One could have "a family in France, in Germany in Italy, talking responibility for helping" another family in need, said the pope.
(Excerpt) Read more at ca.news.yahoo.com ...
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080629072127AAMRVFf
Note the comment on the cited link to the thousands of companies, corporations, etc. under which the Catholic Church has holdings invested.
I’m all for voluntary charity, but with their long history of violent coercion, I’m skeptical of all papal proposals. If the pope wants to really do something for the impoverished he should liquidate Roman Catholic assets and distribute the proceeds to the poor.
Catholic Inquisition and The Torture Tools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx8PdvOELvY&list=PLE1CB721E3CA65D76&index=94&feature=plpp_video
For those who don’t know, the inquisition was directed by a succession of 70-80 popes and historians estimate some 50,000,000 souls were tortured to death. Some of the most horrific torture devices known to history were wielded by the popes. That youtube video features a longtime Dominican priest from Ireland who eventually studied his Bible and by God’s grace was born again. He knows the Catholic church and its history inside and out.
His testimony can be found here: www.bereanbeacon.org
Lord, I pray for protestants worldwide to study their own history and become bible-believing protestants again. Give us the grace to see your truth and not be tripped-up by the subtle lies of this world. Grace us with the power to stand for Christ and His gospel in an ever-darkening world.
Considering some of the most concentrated wealth in the world resides at the Vatican, maybe the Pope could practice a little what he preaches.
Correction: "is doing" not "can do". Try to keep up with reality. The RC church is the largest benefactor of the poor in the world. Check it out.
I agree, voluntary, great, coerced, bad. Here in SoCal, our friends in the Catholic Church are happy to use the power of the state to tax Americans to pay for the social services, schooling and food of their parishioners from Mexico who are illegally in the USA.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/apr/20/local/la-me-0420-mahony-immigration-20100420
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1201250.htm
I certainly read the Bible differently than Cardinal Mahoney does. If he was suggesting that Catholics pony up to pay, it would be one thing, but that’s not at all what the Cardinal is saying. He wants to force all Americans to pay for a policy that is a) not in our best interests b) contrary to the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Americans (70%+ want closed borders) and c) benefits Mexican Catholics at the expense of Americans (can you say bilingual education folks, just for one example?).
A little "sponsoring" from the Vatican would have been nice.
Hey Pope baby how about sponsoring me. I think the church can afford me I dont want that much.$1000 a week will be fine thanks.
I agree. This is probably one of the longest continious operating instituions in the world. A cost center operating for 1500 years has sure to been able to amass a little bit of capital.
Many less than “rich”, currently sponsor families around the world.
This isn’t new.
“. . . plea amidst the spendor of the Vatican City seemed a bit “off” to me”.
There’s a fresh idea. and it reeks of animosity to those who know a little from reading about the subject.
JPII gave away every personal gift he ever received and refused furnishings in his living quarters. Just a bed and a night stand. He stopped the practice of popes wearing poulent garments, realizing it would never please the whiners.
Much of the opulence of, for instance, the churches throughout Europe, were placed during their construction - hundreds of years ago - by artisans. Did the funding of that come by the greediness of the Church? It was done for the purpose of bringing people closer to God (who IS the one who provided the raw materiel, whether you believe it or not).
In Normandy, there is a church in Ste. Marie Iglese (a town named for the church of the Blessed Mother). this once vibrant place of worship is vacant of statues, a tabernacle, seating and parishoners. Is that what you are hoping for? It, like many, had lost some of its stained glass windows to WWII bombing. They had been replaced with new ones with the images of paratroopers arriving fom the sky. This work was done by some grateful French Guys back in the ‘40s.
Do you think the guys who did that work had a lot of money?
Local Catholics don’t frequent these places. If you visit the Chapel of the Miraculous medal in Paris (5 Rue Du Bac), where Ste, Vincent De Paul’s Sisters of Charity still live and work (in full habit), you find people from Third World countries praying in there. They don’t see that kind of dedication in architecture swhere they coem from. Heck, it’s hard to find here in the States. And they won’t unless they travel to Europe. Who would do that kind of ornamental work now?
Do you prefer the back of a rocket ship architecture of the 1970s prevalent now?
Catholic Churches ARE selling stuff, anyway.
In years to come, as has already begun in Europe and New York, the Church will sell these places to Muslims who won’t listen to people who say as you do that they should sell their stuff and give it away. And they won’t keep the images and they won’t sell it intact.
“. . . plea amidst the spendor of the Vatican City seemed a bit “off” to me”.
There’s a fresh idea. and it reeks of animosity to those who know a little from reading about the subject.
JPII gave away every personal gift he ever received and refused furnishings in his living quarters. Just a bed and a night stand. He stopped the practice of popes wearing poulent garments, realizing it would never please the whiners.
Much of the opulence of, for instance, the churches throughout Europe, were placed during their construction - hundreds of years ago - by artisans. Did the funding of that come by the greediness of the Church? It was done for the purpose of bringing people closer to God (who IS the one who provided the raw materiel, whether you believe it or not).
In Normandy, there is a church in Ste. Marie Iglese (a town named for the church of the Blessed Mother). this once vibrant place of worship is vacant of statues, a tabernacle, seating and parishoners. Is that what you are hoping for? It, like many, had lost some of its stained glass windows to WWII bombing. They had been replaced with new ones with the images of paratroopers arriving fom the sky. This work was done by some grateful French Guys back in the ‘40s.
Do you think the guys who did that work had a lot of money?
Local Catholics don’t frequent these places. If you visit the Chapel of the Miraculous medal in Paris (5 Rue Du Bac), where Ste, Vincent De Paul’s Sisters of Charity still live and work (in full habit), you find people from Third World countries praying in there. They don’t see that kind of dedication in architecture swhere they coem from. Heck, it’s hard to find here in the States. And they won’t unless they travel to Europe. Who would do that kind of ornamental work now?
Do you prefer the back of a rocket ship architecture of the 1970s prevalent now?
Catholic Churches ARE selling stuff, anyway.
In years to come, as has already begun in Europe and New York, the Church will sell these places to Muslims who won’t listen to people who say as you do that they should sell their stuff and give it away. And they won’t keep the images and they won’t sell it intact.
Can’t believe I double posted that
My wife and I are comfortable, not rich. Via the local, state and federal taxes we support/sponsor many poor people in the USA and internationally.
If I had a choice in the matter, those who benefit from my largess would be like my pets, surgically and permanently neutered.
Read just a few of the papal proposals then comment.
Duh.
One would hope that's what he meant. Being human, Popes can also be fallible - not long back we had one embracing the "green" theory to "save the planet". One would think that one in such a position would not worry about such worldly things - God has said how it will end and it won't be because Man has destroyed the planet (although eventual nukes may cause some issues as we head into the final times)...
You guys really think the popes come out wiht ideas like Obama does and it’s just some misquoted headline kind of crap.
Encyclicals are written periodically and they re well thought out by extremely well informed well educated people.
It needed to be said twice.
:)
Here’s a fresh idea. You read something slightly critical and you automatically think “Catholic Hater.”
You also assume that I’ve read little about it. As my other post indicates I took the time to at least search what the church’s extimated value was.
Regardless of your wild leap, I don’t have animosity toward the Catholic Church. I admire its resilience throughout history. I am just perplexed at the animus displayed by some of its members when a discussion of the Church’s actions is at hand.
My comment of the Pope’s comment being a bit ‘off’ was very polite given his domain. And, please don’t try and tell me the Vatican isn’t sitting on some of the mosts priceless and revered artifacts from history. While selfless and laudible, giving away one’s personal holdings in the midst of being surrounded with such and wanting for nothing is just symbolic. Regardless, whether you agree or not, the Catholic church is in control of a vast fortune, however interpreted.
Whatever.
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