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 ...
The Church is wealthy beyond what most can imagine.
Since “my church” never pled poverty while living in gilded halls, there is no analogy to be made.
Religious priests taking the vow of poverty need to eat, have their clothes, healthcare and such. They have to rely on the donations of the parishioners who must be productive to earn their wages. Thats all fine but whole communities of believers cant take a vow of poverty but to share their funds with love to God via donations. I wish the church would teach more on relationship with God instead of following external rituals as if a holy cloak.
Talk about casting stones.
Why don’t you condemn the way the Catholic hierarchy lives?
Or do you only object when it’s not a Catholic?
That ‘church’ has spent Yeshua’s sheep’s money on Art Treasures, massive buildings, and high living.
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Proverbs 10:4 Idle hands bring poverty; diligent hands bring wealth
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Ecclesiastes 10 Verse 19:
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
Is this an Onion piece? The Roman Catholic church is poor ????
I complained because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
So I took his shoes, he didn’t need them.
Clergy is a unique case. But in general vows to poverty, in the sense of socialism, is neither required of a Christian or desirable.
Poverty? Poverty?- we don` need no stinkin poverty!!!!
Sounds like more communist pope bs to me:
Jesus parable: “Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’’ Mt 20:15
Rich women with Jesus:
“... and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many other women,
all of whom contributed to the support of Jesus and His Apostles. ... “
Rich man disciple of Jesus:
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named
Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ...”
VERY VERY VERY VERy RICH SAINTS:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a very very rich princess who helped poor people.
St. Elizabeth of Portugal was a very very rich queen who helped poor people.
St. Louis Ix of France was a very very very rich king:
He was renowned for his charity. The peace and blessings of the realm come to us through the poor he would say. Beggars were fed from his table, he ate their leavings, washed their feet, ministered to the wants of the lepers, and daily fed over one hundred poor. He founded many hospitals and houses: the House of the Felles-Dieu for reformed prostitutes; the Quinze-Vingt for 300 blind men (1254), hospitals at Pontoise, Vernon, Compiégne.”
Poverty’s important to Democrats too...
Without dependent broken blacks willing ‘to believe’ empty promises where would the liberal elites who run the Democrat party be?
I know where’s they’d be - out of office.
Guess the Pope and Obama have more in common than I thought...
It IS a strange message isn’t it?
I get it ... Jesus led by example & stressed matters of the heart & soul over material comfort.
He instructed us to help the poor.
While many assume this help is usually financial - it also involves seeking the root attitudes & behaviors causing the poverty.
Capitalism is not perfect but has done far more to alleviate poverty than any other economic system.
Maybe a better idea will come along some day.
Until then - it appears our Pope is rejecting the most useful tool in alleviating the misery of the poor.
And the more the world demonizes & attacks capitalism - the less relief will be provided by the producers.
The poor masses are more easily controlled, especially if the government is the ones who have the food and money.
People who are independent and successful on their own have no need to depend on the government and are less likely to be willing to trade their freedom for necessities.
Teach someone to fish; don’t give him a fish.
Joel Osteen runs a Bible believing church? HA HA.
Now that’s really really funny!
I don’t think that Joel even owns a cross.
Attacking straw men is an Alinsky tactic.
The Pope should consider, the church is going to need money to fight the muslims.
The value of the Catholic Church’s holdings in sculptures, paintings, and other priceless artworks is probably closer to TENS of billions of dollars. Before that socialist pretend pope tries to guilt anyone into donating anything, the Vatican needs to liquidate all holdings, donating proceeds to the ‘poor’. As far as I am concerned, I will never donate one red cent to the socialist programs favored by the socialist Catholics.
Poverty is a curse. Anyone who has ever cracked open a Bible can see that quite clearly (see Deuteronomy 28 for a clear contrast between the Blessing and the curse). The solution is not found in stealing wealth and redistributing it. That simply makes everyone equally miserable, except the chosen few who enforce this demonic program. The answer to eradicating poverty is found in God’s Word. Giving and receiving, sowing and reaping, working so that you have plenty to give, and most importantly, the Liberty we have in Christ.
Frankly, I find it so sad how the religious among us continually preach against wealth, prosperity, the Blessing, freedom, and capitalism, and then in the same sermon beg for money to keep the lights on, or lobby governments for grants and handouts.
Socialism is simply the state replacing God. The religious need to stop listening to the world, and start trusting the Word of our Heavenly Father, El Shaddai, or the ALL SUFFICIENT ONE. He is MORE than capable of doing what he promised.
It would be a very difficult task finding any passage in God’s Word where poverty is ever called a Blessing, or in any way desirable. The Blessing flows continually from Genesis to Revelation. However, there are several verses that clearly condemn the laziness and dependency that is encouraged in a welfare state.
Ephesians 4:28 (AMP)
28 Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (AMP)
10 For while we were yet with you, we gave you this rule and charge: If anyone will not work, neither let him eat.
11 Indeed, we hear that some among you are disorderly [that they are passing their lives in idleness, neglectful of duty], being busy with other people’s affairs instead of their own and doing no work.
12 Now we charge and exhort such persons [as ministers in Him exhorting those] in the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) that they work in quietness and earn their own food and other necessities.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (AMP)
11 To make it your ambition and definitely endeavor to live quietly and peacefully, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we charged you,
12 So that you may bear yourselves becomingly and be correct and honorable and command the respect of the outside world, being dependent on nobody [self-supporting] and having need of nothing.
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