He should call on members of Congress who use the Lord's name in vain and then do not follow the teachings of Jesus.

(The Vatican Bank was Banco Ambrosiano's main share-holder).

Societies that are willing to manufacture poor people in order to remain wealthy eventually find themselves poor. A purpose which is self-defeating is wrong even if you ignore the immorality (which I do not).

And it has led to a degenerate desire for wealth.

Are you going to actually help the poor with all the billions you're sitting on? Or just release statements and do nothing?

The "mountain of gold" thing is more hyperbole than fact. The Vatican's gold reserves are estimated to be worth a few billion dollars...an amount equal to the one-year budget of a typical largish American city (think Houston or Seattle, not New York or Los Angeles). That's still a lot of money, but it's not as much as most seem to think they have.

Most of the Vatican's wealth is locked up in land, buildings, and other investments they've acquired over the past couple millennia.

But the Vatican's gold reserves are so vast that no one know how much they are worth, guesses I've heard are 50 billion or more. The pope sits on a gold throne for Pete's sake.

Francis sits on a wooden chair.

to think of the Pope as some all-powerful entity who can wave his hand and change everything with a word. You're not a moron, are you? I don't think you are, but I wonder why you're espousing a moron's position?

The exact size of the gold repository is publicly known because it's actually controlled by the Vatican Bank, and they have opened their books in recent years to demonstrate compliance with EU banking laws. Yes, they really do have billions of dollars worth of gold, but very little of it is in the Vatican itself. In fact, the bulk of its gold is right here in the United States, where it's being held by the federal reserve for safekeeping. The U.S. federal reserve has the EXACT numbers and provided them to the EU.

Many of the assumptions of vast wealth are based on speculation from previous decades. Nobody knew how much gold the Catholic Church had, and it was obviously a wealthy institution, so people spun fantastic stories about the supposed "mountains of gold" under the Vatican. Once that veil was pulled back, it was found that they do indeed have a lot of gold, but you need to pull that zero off your $50 billion estimate to get its real value.

Oh, and most Catholics consider the "gold throne" thing to be anti-Catholic slander (ranks right up there with "money mad Jews" as a way to villify "greedy Catholics&quot . The chair is actually gold-guilded wood, and the sum of all the gold on the chair is probably worth a couple thousand dollars or so (the entire chair itself, for historical reasons alone, would obviously be worth considerably more to a private collector).

I don't think anyone who criticizes the Vatican means to include all Catholics. I sure don't. Your argument attempts to use Catholic laity as a human shield for the Vatican and is insulting to those of us with legitimate criticisms of the Vatican. That is like when George Bush suggested that criticizing the Iraq war was not being supportive of our troops.

There is a huge difference between the Vatican and, say, the Nuns on the Bus, who I strongly admire, and who appear to be actually following the teachings of Jesus Christ.

I do think the Vatican and church hierarchy value power over Jesus' teachings, resulting in their protection of pedophile priests instead of Catholic children and hoarding gold while their parishioners starve.

I appreciate the new tone from Pope Francis, but I also see he has nonetheless continued the harassment of the Nuns on the Bus, and has not dispersed any of the Vatican's gold or riches to the poor. Nor has he gotten rid of the golden throne.

The Vatican's gold consists of a lot more than just the gold bullion in U. S. banks, as you seem to acknowledge. If you've got some links to back up that $5B figure and your assertion that the throne only has a few thousand dollars worth of gold on it (i.e. the value of a solid gold necklace), please provide them.

Just what I was thinking...

with Vatican money, I may just have to attend some services.

I must admit, this guy is refreshing.

I've long admired liberation theology and the Catholic Socialists in Latin America. They seem to be consistent about their values. I know there are issues about reproductive rights, but at least these people are consistent in continuing to be pro-life, AFTER the babies are born, which is more than I can say for American fundamentalists.

I really think with this pope publishing the church's financial statements he is laying the groundwork for future projects. Things like more charity & less hoarding of wealth.

From what I have read he has no desire to live in the lap of luxury while pope but seems to want to stay among humanity and even serve his fellow humans.

I find this new pope to be a breath of fresh air. Let's hope he lives long enough to be truly effective.

Julie

I don't think he supports liberation theology or the Catholic Socialists. If you know otherwise, a link would be appreciated.

is to do exactly that. And he's Jesuit, which, IMHO, are the best of the Catholics. He took a vow of poverty, now he might well make the church do the same. It would be a smart move and in complete concert with what little all of us have seen of his personal ethics.

I never skipped a chance to rag on Pope Rattie, refusing to even use whatever name he chose but preferring the more descriptive one. This one, I just assumed would be Pope Rattie the second. I'm having second thoughts on that.

Sure, there are problems he hasn't addressed, but it's early. This one could be a really good Pope. It certainly looks auspicious.

how does that go again?

but yeah, the difference between this Pope and the previous piece of crap, Pope Rattie, is huge. I'm not a Catholic but this is a Catholic leader who seems to have a lot of his priorities in the right place.

He was Jesuit, after all. I say we should wait a while and see.

to look like he will make changes -- and for the better. He seems to
have the makings of a great pope. The last one was John XXIII.

And don't forget. He is already 78. How much change can he
make in the time he has left? John XXIII, too, was already old
when he became pope. But he did what he could in that short
period.

Free market economics had created a tyranny, in which people were valued only by their ability to consume...

...under the dictatorship of an economy which lacked any real human goal..

That can't be said enough. If the world ends the Bangladeshi sweat shops of the world, the attacks on the poor and the marginalized, show respect for this wonderful planet providing us with life, it will have listened.

Here's the whole thing (minus the introductory greeting and the closing):

...

Ladies and Gentlemen, our human family is presently experiencing something of a turning point in its own history, if we consider the advances made in various areas. We can only praise the positive achievements which contribute to the authentic welfare of mankind, in fields such as those of health, education and communications. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that the majority of the men and women of our time continue to live daily in situations of insecurity, with dire consequences. Certain pathologies are increasing, with their psychological consequences; fear and desperation grip the hearts of many people, even in the so-called rich countries; the joy of life is diminishing; indecency and violence are on the rise; poverty is becoming more and more evident. People have to struggle to live and, frequently, to live in an undignified way. One cause of this situation, in my opinion, is in the our relationship with money, and our acceptance of its power over ourselves and our society. Consequently the financial crisis which we are experiencing makes us forget that its ultimate origin is to be found in a profound human crisis. In the denial of the primacy of human beings! We have created new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old (cf. Ex 32:15-34) has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal.

The worldwide financial and economic crisis seems to highlight their distortions and above all the gravely deficient human perspective, which reduces man to one of his needs alone, namely, consumption. Worse yet, human beings themselves are nowadays considered as consumer goods which can be used and thrown away. We have started a throw-away culture. This tendency is seen on the level of individuals and whole societies; and it is being promoted! In circumstances like these, solidarity, which is the treasure of the poor, is often considered counterproductive, opposed to the logic of finance and the economy. While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules. Moreover, indebtedness and credit distance countries from their real economy and citizens from their real buying power. Added to this, as if it were needed, is widespread corruption and selfish fiscal evasion which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The will to power and of possession has become limitless.

Concealed behind this attitude is a rejection of ethics, a rejection of God. Ethics, like solidarity, is a nuisance! It is regarded as counterproductive: as something too human, because it relativizes money and power; as a threat, because it rejects manipulation and subjection of people: because ethics leads to God, who is situated outside the categories of the market. God is thought to be unmanageable by these financiers, economists and politicians, God is unmanageable, even dangerous, because he calls man to his full realization and to independence from any kind of slavery. Ethics – naturally, not the ethics of ideology – makes it possible, in my view, to create a balanced social order that is more humane. In this sense, I encourage the financial experts and the political leaders of your countries to consider the words of Saint John Chrysostom: "Not to share one’s goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs" (Homily on Lazarus, 1:6 – PG 48, 992D).

Dear Ambassadors, there is a need for financial reform along ethical lines that would produce in its turn an economic reform to benefit everyone. This would nevertheless require a courageous change of attitude on the part of political leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with determination and farsightedness, taking account, naturally, of their particular situations. Money has to serve, not to rule! The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but the Pope has the duty, in Christ’s name, to remind the rich to help the poor, to respect them, to promote them. The Pope appeals for disinterested solidarity and for a return to person-centred ethics in the world of finance and economics.

For her part, the Church always works for the integral development of every person. In this sense, she reiterates that the common good should not be simply an extra, simply a conceptual scheme of inferior quality tacked onto political programmes. The Church encourages those in power to be truly at the service of the common good of their peoples. She urges financial leaders to take account of ethics and solidarity. And why should they not turn to God to draw inspiration from his designs? In this way, a new political and economic mindset would arise that would help to transform the absolute dichotomy between the economic and social spheres into a healthy symbiosis.

...

http://www.news.va/es/news/126772

That was a good read. Let's see if he backs it up. At least he's saying the right things.

There's a lot of good stuff in that address.

> The worship of the golden calf of old (cf. Ex 32:15-34) has found a new and
> heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy
> which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal.

> While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority
> is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute
> autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control
> to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good.

I have more hope for this Jesuit Pope doing the right thing than I have of any other
current leader of any nation, political party, religious faith or economic organisation.

Definitely off to a good start - let's hope it continues.

Centuries of plunder -- hand it over.

You have a valid point, but sometimes the question is whom to hand it over to, and how much and when. Those to whom it is going should be properly vetted and the money spent wisely.

This man seems to be making an honest effort, and he is of a different background from other popes. Let's not do to him what the Republicans tried to do to Preseident Obama: Ask why everything isn't fixed within eight weeks of the president having taken office.

BTW, I'm not Catholic.

So, he should practice what he preaches. Lead by example.

Yeah, right.

The Supreme Pontiff, Sovereign of Vatican City State, has the fullness of legislative, executive and judicial powers.

Just like the Pope, it's his wealth.

Right?

Meanwhile he himself is sitting on a pile of plundered loot at the Vatican. So, if he's going to say that, it seems to me the place to start is by him turning over the Vatican's wealth the poor. Makes sense, no? Charity begins at home and all that, right?

Good words, fella. Better than 'oh look, it's gay sex, how evil.' With wars and misogyny and rape and money humpers I was kind of concerned about his focus, there.

Take your gold, give it back to all the European pagans you took it from, plant some flowers over the gravesides of the tortured and murdered, and get on with your message. I'm right there with ya, bro.

Then an auction of shoes and dresses. Then, gold trinkets and the porn collection. Then the keys.

Then we'll talk about benevolence.

Especially to hit the right winger Catholics of the world over the head with it.

Nice try, Your Holiness, but no one is listening who is in a position to change anything.

Popey Boy?