Are Catholics allowed to become rich (millionaires, billionaires, etc.)?

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Just a curiosity of mine. I know Jesus says it’s hard for a rich man to enter Heaven, however, is becoming rich in itself an impossibility or sin?
 
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In of itself wealth is not the issue. The issue is when one puts material wealth before God; when it becomes the object of devotion. It is very possible for a rich man to enter heaven if they see themselves as stewards of that wealth for the good of his brothers and sisters.
 
Let’s say God let you choose from the beginning certain things in your life: Family, country, time period, personal struggles etcetera… Personally,I would like to be born into a wealthy aristocratic family. However, if I desire Heaven this choice would be fraught with perils! Look at the entertainment news and see how much pressure rich and famous people are under to conform. Too much wealth, ask lottery winners, can be a curse. It’s overall problematic and difficult in our fallen nature to manage such a powerful tool as money. It’s not a sin but it’s a burden to be sure!
 
It depends on what the person does with it. When they start putting their money or materials before God, that can be idol worship.

I dream of becoming a millionaire/billionaire and having as many beautiful Gothic style churches built as possible in the US. Like REALLY beautiful.

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Like this !!!

I know Mary’s parents were wealthy…not millionaire wealthy, but well off for that day in age. They still became saints.
 
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 Saints have been rich. I think of such saints as Saint Louis, King of France, and
Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. They certainly had wealth. Many other kings and queens with wealth could be named.
Besides this they had great power and status, which some would say too that would mean moral harm for a person–though actually this, also, doesn’t hold true. Jesus’ words seem to indicate that a rich person must fight hard against such a temptation, however.
It is true that wealth and power could provide temptation to sin. But then we all have temptations to sin, which needn’t overcome us.
 
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Please pray for me. I have intentions of becoming rich for a few purposes, and I do not want to fall away from God. In addition to praying that I always keep God first, and am able to abandon my intent or possession of money immediately upon his command, I also ask that you all pray that if I am allowed to possess wealth, that I don’t become consumed in it, and that Christ always remains the priority.

Thank you, God bless.
 
Usige said:
In of itself wealth is not the issue. The issue is when one puts material wealth before God; when it becomes the object of devotion. It is very possible for a rich man to enter heaven if they see themselves as stewards of that wealth for the good of his brothers and sisters.
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I agree. I had a priest tell the true story of a rich individual who had a friend who was working with getting food to some starving people in Africa. The problem was that the food was at the docks but there was a lack of transportation to get the food to the location of the people. The rich individual sent a check to buy ten trucks. The way that the priest described it, I’m thinking that the check was probably for $750,000 to $1,000,000. And there was no hesitation on the part of the rich individual. I think that that was good stewardship.
 
The misuse of funds is sinful. To be rich is a blessing. To love is a virtue, to be charitable is a virtue. Money comes with responsibility, which is why the rich are charged with such a task from God. The greatest commandment is to love, isn’t it? Catholics can be as rich as they deserve, for the labourer deserves his wage.

There’s nothing at all wrong with wealth.

The outward projection of his character is how God judges the wealthy. The wealthy owes his poorer brethren. If you make a trillion dollars a year, you are an individual who ought to have a nice house and car, but you are obliged to help your brother out of poverty and do what you can to get them to your level of wealth. Sometimes, it might be your calling to take someone who is poor into your home and try to alleviate them of their poverty.

Sometimes, the poor man is your prophet, coming to you for help to foreshadow God’s mercy upon your soul. It’s wonderful to be wealthy: but love, care for, and take responsibility for your brother.
 
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It depends on the goal of being rich. If by being rich you can create more jobs for people, i would say that is a noble reason to have such wealth. Making sure future generations of your family are without want is good. But i think hording wealth, being rich for riches sake is a problem. The thing is, by being rich, that means you are in a position to do good in the world and that is what we are here for. We are not here for status or fame or luxury. A good Christian or any man or women that loves God and his creation would use their wealth to actualize good things in reality.

In reality, you cannot ever truly be rich because it all belongs to the good; it belongs to God. True riches comes from being servants of love. We can be rich in that sense.
 
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You must also look at how you become rich.
If you become rich through working hard and providing fair employment for people, fine.
If you become rich through lying, stealing, exploiting people, selling immoral goods like illegal drugs or porn, then not fine.
 
Is God calling you to spend your time and energy to become rich or are you trying to justify your desire to be rich by telling yourself you will do a, b, c, if you become rich (also known as bargaining with God)? Are you currently using most of your money and/or time not spent on getting richer on helping build churches now?
 
Good points you brought up here. I do have a personal desire to become rich, but I also want to use that wealth to help others. I’ve made plans on what to do in the event I become rich, however, I don’t recall ever bargaining with God. With the approach that I’m planning on taking for the initial gain, however, I will truly need God, as surprisingly few succeed in this avenue (It’s not immoral or illegal by the way).

I feel like I’d be able to do more for both myself, my family, and the world with this gift. I wonder, however, if I could do more for Christ though. Which is a more powerful testimony: Remaining faithful throughout poverty, or remaining faithful throughout wealth? 🤔

That’s something which I’ll really need to think about; ways to help the Church directly. Besides from donations, I can’t really think of too much. Any ideas?
 
I am sure your parish has lots of things that they need help with. The parish festival, cleaning the parking lot, driving people to and from Mass especially during inclement weather, paying the gardening bill or, if they use volunteer work, mowing the lawn (you don’t want to take away someone’s income), polishing the pews, cleaning the pews after Mass (people leave stuff behind), etc.

Since this plan you have involves a high risk of failure, have you sought advice from your spiritual advisor, your spouse, or other people who you trust to be unbiased? What do they say?
 
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Proverbs 30
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
 
At some point one must define what is “rich.” According to world standards many in the US which we would consider having modest income would be considered extremely wealthy. Thus it’s where our priorities are. God first or money, prestige and ;power that often goes with it.
 
Sponsor tuition at your parish school for a few underprivileged kids.
 
This thread reminds me that I need to re-read “Mr. Blue” by Myles Connolly.

I’ve still got it around here somewhere.
 
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