You wrote:
“I am always puzzled that so many Roman Catholics can visit the vatican, to see the elaborate display of embarassing wealth, then to see the hundreds of homeless, helpless beggars outside the wall... and come away with joy.”
Simple. 1) We know scripture. Jesus reminds us in scripture that we will always have the poor. It was Judas who wanted to deprive Christ of an “elaborate display of embarrassing wealth” (see John 12:4-6). You, being perhaps a Protestant or anti-Catholic, naturally think like Judas. How sad.
2) Pilgrims and visitors to the Vatican give millions in donations to help not only keep up the Vatican, but also to feed the poor in Rome. This has always been the case. The Catholic Church does more to help the poor than all other churches combined.
3) That so-called embarrassing wealth was donated by the faithful for the service of God. We like it where it is and want it to continue being used for His service and service to the poor. If everything in the Vatican was sold billions would be raised but then quickly spent on the poor and you would STILL HAVE THE POOR. Didn’t LBJ’s Great Society teach us that after hundreds and hundreds of billions have been spent in just 40 years.
But go ahead and think like that great humanitarian Judas. Gee, things turned out so well for him too.
How could one leave the Church that Christ founded?
No wonder why those that leave, come back.......and those seeking spiritual truth, come in.