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The Latest: Pope Speaks of Importance of Poverty to Church
New York Times ^ | SEPT. 20, 2015

Posted on 09/20/2015 4:59:36 PM PDT by TroutStalker

HAVANA — The latest developments in Pope Francis' visit to Cuba and the United States. All times local:

6:30 p.m.

Pope Francis has spoken off-the-cuff at length for the first time during his trip to Cuba, breaking from prepared remarks to deliver a sermon that focuses extensively on the importance of poverty to the Roman Catholic Church.

He also warns of the dangers of falling prey to the temptations of wealth.

In Francis's word: "Our dear mother church is poor. God wants it poor, as he wanted our Holy Mother Mary to be poor."

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
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To: RetiredTexasVet

Whats so holy about ‘poverty’? Its like saying the almighty God of the Universe is not big enough or can bless me enough to meet all my needs. Not extravagance but enough to live on for an enriched life and giving Him the thanks and glory for His care and blessings.


21 posted on 09/20/2015 5:34:01 PM PDT by tflabo (Psalm 1)
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To: BipolarBob

Poverty is over rated in my book.

Ask anyone living in a third world hell hole.


22 posted on 09/20/2015 5:36:17 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: TroutStalker

The best thing one can do for the poor is not be one of them.


23 posted on 09/20/2015 5:36:26 PM PDT by muglywump (Seven days without laughter makes one weak.)
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To: octex

But, didn’t Pope Kiril (Anthony Quinn) agree to sell the Vatican’s treasures to feed the Chinese poor?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shoes_of_the_Fisherman


24 posted on 09/20/2015 5:36:46 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: TroutStalker

take the gold back to darkest africa from which it came and give it away........

he is a burden to humainty


25 posted on 09/20/2015 5:41:48 PM PDT by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump)
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To: metmom

If poverty is so holy then all the homeless on the streets would be sanctified saints. Take a vow to help the poor and another vow to stay out of poverty.


26 posted on 09/20/2015 5:44:10 PM PDT by tflabo (Psalm 1)
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To: vbmoneyspender
a6c2d3fd
print screen windows xp


27 posted on 09/20/2015 5:45:25 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Voting is acting white.)
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To: tflabo

If poverty is so holy, then we SHOULDN’T help the poor.

Why rob them of the blessing of poverty?


28 posted on 09/20/2015 5:45:27 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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To: metmom

thats excellent... never thought of it that way.


29 posted on 09/20/2015 5:47:10 PM PDT by tflabo (Psalm 1)
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To: TroutStalker

I just shake my head - how ironic that the leader of the Catholic Church doesn’t know Scripture. When Jesus said ‘You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free.’ He knew how we can, even as Christians, get polluted with the World’s distortions. That being said, The Bible is pretty clear on God’s attitude about riches and Money:

1. Money is not evil - the LOVE of Money leads to ALL kinds of evil.
2. Work hard, diligent, don’t be slothful - and it will pay off.
3. Don’t lay up for yourselves gold and silver here were it gets spoiled, but lay up treasures in Heaven.
4. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
5. Give, and it will be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together and running over.
6. Help the poor, the needy (can’t do it if you’re poor yourself)
7. Money is a tool, an instrument - pray for God’s Wisdom on how to use it.
8. Be content with whatever state God has blessed you with - to me this isn’t about not excelling and investing wisely - the parable of the talents makes that clear - it’s about an attitude of knowing that ‘things’ don’t bring you lasting peace or joy, only God does
- Speaking of the Parable of the Talents - who received more at the end - the guy who had the most and wisely invested all of it. The guy who buried what little he had in the ground - he was called wicked.
9. Abraham and Job were two of the richest men in their day - God called Abraham the ‘Friend of God’ and Jesus said there was none like Job. Their attitudes were in the right place - not to be poor - but to know all things come from God and He can take when He wants, but loves when you simply ask Him to be a willing vessel for His glory.

Read Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, written by probably the richest man who ever lived - Solomon - doesn’t say much of anything about God wanting us poor.

Just my thoughts - but the common theme is a. trust in God, not wealth, b. when He blesses you - use it for Good, c. don’t be selfish, greedy, covetous, but rather be charitable.


30 posted on 09/20/2015 5:48:39 PM PDT by time4good
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To: TroutStalker

clearly the Pope doesnt know that the Bible was speaking of Poverty of The Spirit rather than Poverty of the Earthly Goods

Perhaps he should read it more often.


31 posted on 09/20/2015 5:49:18 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: TroutStalker

I guess it all depends on how you define poor? To me, the Catholic church looks anything but poor.


32 posted on 09/20/2015 5:49:32 PM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: TroutStalker
"Our dear mother church is poor. God wants it poor, as he wanted our Holy Mother Mary to be poor."


33 posted on 09/20/2015 5:51:40 PM PDT by Hugin ("First thing--get yourself a fire"arm!" Sheriff Ed Galt, Last Man Standing.)
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To: TroutStalker

“Our dear mother church is poor.”


This guy should start a comedy show.


34 posted on 09/20/2015 5:55:09 PM PDT by boycott
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To: metmom

Proverbs 15:6

Much wealth is in the house of the righteous,
But trouble is in the income of the wicked.


35 posted on 09/20/2015 5:56:18 PM PDT by tflabo (Psalm 1)
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To: RetiredTexasVet

The Vatican needs to sell ALL of its vast real estate holdings and give that money to the poor. Only then will the Pope have any credibility when he bashes capitalism and preaches against “ economic terrorism” and supports faux climate change. This Pope still has many pedophiles in his church and continues to protect them. The hypocrisy of the Catholic Church is astounding: Managing and growing the largest most profitable multinational corporation on the planet while having a full blown Marxist as CEO.


36 posted on 09/20/2015 5:56:55 PM PDT by slapshot ("Tan, drunk and stupid is no way to govern Mr. Boehner".)
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To: sparklite2
Should religious objects not be made of gold?

Was God wrong for commanding that the Ark be made of gold?

17"You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 18"You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.
Does God not care about starving children?

Are you equally concerned about Joel Osteen's wealth?

This is his humble home. It probably costs even more than a gold cross.

Maybe you should clean up your own Bible-alone churches before casting stones.

37 posted on 09/20/2015 5:57:26 PM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: jwalsh07
Vows of poverty help no one.

For clergy? Why?

BTW, diocesan priests don't take a vow of poverty, but religious priests do.

Diocesan or religious priesthood?

38 posted on 09/20/2015 6:00:31 PM PDT by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: TroutStalker

Ah, the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church misses is so much. They wax nostalgic.


39 posted on 09/20/2015 6:01:55 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

To me this is a stench. Sure, he ‘can’ buy this, and not be immoral - but my bet is that Joel doesn’t have his priorities right.


40 posted on 09/20/2015 6:04:24 PM PDT by time4good
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