For the Vatican, it is about helping people or is it about more profits?

Question

I ask because the Vatican's net worth is in the multi-trillions and growing.

Answer 1

Having been baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church I can say, from personal experience, that the institution is primarily driven by ideology, and not a profit incentive. Normally that would be considered a compliment, but since their ideology is grounded in superstitious nonsense, being ideologically driven is just plain destructive.

Granted there are some greedy elements of the church, as there are in other well meaning organizations, which are solely in it for monetary gain. Yet, for the most part, the Catholic Church exists to transform this world into its utopian vision, which is what all major religious movements endeavor to do.

The vast wealth of the Catholic Church is accrued to fulfill these ideological aims; however misguided they maybe. The impetus, to spread the Gospel, as the Catholics see the Gospel, to the ends of the earth required them to employ Machiavellian tactics in order to amass the funds needed to meet their theological ends. Hence, you have the corrupt and exploitive pogroms such as the Crusades and the Inquisitions, and the scam of the selling of indulgences.

So though the Catholic Church, and those who seek a lifelong vocation in it as a priest, nun, or deacon, are not in it for the money, their ultimate objective does require money to reach its fulfillment, and that is where the Catholic Church, like many other religious movements, fleeces its flock.

Just as an aside, I will grant that the Catholic Church is one of the greatest sources of charity and human benevolence. So we must applaud them to be fair and balanced. However, they, as most Christian Churches, don’t come close to following Jesus’ edict which said “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Matthew 19:21). Much of their wealth is instead used for self aggrandizement and to promote political causes, thus violating the magnanimous and totally self-sacrificial nature of the Gospels. The truth is if the Catholic Church were to truly follow the traditions of Christ, and his Apostles, they would not have enough surplus wealth to build opulent churches and grandiose monuments to their power, like Vatican City. Yes, hypocrisy is rampant in the so called “one and true Church”.

Answer 2

The Vatican is usually in debt. Yes, it is about helping people. The church is made for helping people and it is the responsibility of the laity to keep her held up financially. Otherwise, on the practical level, it could no longer exist and it's mission would be unachievable by ordinary means.

Answer 3

It's about stopping lawsuits in Rome over known child crimes.

It's all about men only (no women allowed, no pew renters allowed) and their insatiable lust for religious power and money (aka greed) all disguised like the wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood story.

Answer 4

Gives salvation with one hand, takes money with the other.

How does no one notice that the Vatican is the richest country in the world, per capita?

Answer 5

Of course more income means more charity for the poor and disadvantaged. No group on earth does more for those in need than the Catholic Church.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 6

It seems if they wanted to help people they could sell of some of that gold that the place is coated in...

Answer 7

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!!!!!!

Who needs God when you have that much MONEY? Just ask 'em. They dumped God a long, long time ago.