Actually, I am not defending Francis. I am pointing out the “the Catholic Church should sell all its art and provide for the poor” argument is a stupid, short sighted argument and people who say it should just stop. Especially when they “really don’t care” what happens to the poor when the Church hypothetically sells all its art and has nothing left to provide for them thereafter.
The problem is they aren’t doing it now. And they have not for an awfully long time. And there is no indication they will at any time in the future. They just tell the faithful to give their cash.
It’s not a stupid argument. It was Jesus himself that called on all to live modestly, vows of poverty etc. I didn’t make those statements. Jesus did. So who is the church to simply ignore his direct teachings? Somewhere locked away from human eyes with the rest of the hoard, is there a exception clause? Do they know better? If not I ask again how that squares with the hoarding behavior, opulence etc. of the church because there is zero wiggle room here.