Sunday, November 8, 2015

The church and its systemic misuse of the widow's mite

BBC Radio 4's Sunday programme this morning cites shenanigans going on in the Vatican.

It recounts the story of a monsignor who was not happy with the size of his flat so he extended it into his neighbour's while he was in hospital. He was expecting the man not to return but alas he did.

It went on to talk about the 'saint making factory' and how monies have been misappropriated in the department.

Two arrests in the Vatican and two books about the Eternal City last week make it embarrassing times for Pope Francis.

If we are not able to look after our money properly, something which we can see, how are we ever going to look after the souls of the faithful, something we cannot see....

Transparency, that's what you have in the most humble business and we must have it too, words reputedly said by Pope Francis at a Vatican finance commission meeting.

Emiliano Fittipaldi in his book  Avarizia  details the accounts of Australian cardinal George Pell. Between July 2014 and January he 2015 spent €500,000 in his job as secretary for the economy.

It seems the cardinal often travels business class. Pell's accountant is paid €15,000 a month, while the secretariat authorised €90,000 worth of renovations to the accountant's rental apartment.

Pope Francis's comments about not being able to look after money and being so assured about how to look after 'souls' says so much about the behaviour of the church.

The money, the resources the church wastes is simply scandalous.

1 comment:

Póló said...

I had a relation who left disgusting amounts of money in her will to buy masses here and in Rome to ensure her passage through the pearly gates.

She wrote the will from her death bed and it is clear from the masses provision that she was terrified out of her mind.

Meanwhile, back at the Palace ...

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