CNN: The lavish homes of American archbishops

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I’d like your take on a CNN article I stumbled upon today on www.cnn.com when I went to see the latest headlines.

cnn.com/interactive/2014/08/us/american-archbishops-lavish-homes/?hpt=hp_c2

I’ve got mixed feelings on this issue. In my view, church leadership should set the standard for how Christians behave in the area of modesty and humility, like Pope Francis is doing. Based on the article, these archbishops seem to be doing the opposite of Pope Francis.

On the other hand, I see that having a nice home for archbishops is a way of showing them respect, honor, and gratitude. Your thoughts?
 
I don’t see any big deal of having the archbishop live in a big house. The President of the USA lives in a big house and has his own private Boeing E4 and yet we still pay our taxes.

The Church should definitely support architecture. I’m fine with it as long as it is accessible to people and more than one person lives in the house.
 
adawgj said:
I don’t see any big deal of having the archbishop live in a big house. The President of the USA lives in a big house and has his own private Boeing E4 and yet we still pay our taxes.

The Church should definitely support architecture. I’m fine with it as long as it is accessible to people and more than one person lives in the house.
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I agree, so many people with more of a leftist persuasion also criticize the papacy for possessing two beautiful and historically significant palaces, they say he should sell them, but nobody ever tells the president to sell his house, or his cars, or planes…

Bishops are important people in the Church and as such it is necessary to emphasize their positions within it, they can’t live in a shack and wear rags, how would we know who they were, no, they need living spaces suited to their positions, its mostly the wealthy that criticize the Hierarchy for appreciating beauty and architecture, not the poor.

Envy is a Sin and CNN as well as the rest of the media love to skew the Popes words in favor of bland egalitarianism, unless its a celebrity then its cool and okay.

Pope Francis is a Jesuit, he doesn’t oppose beauty, he has a different style, that’s it.
 
Keep in mind… in some places the homes are very old and were built with the church. Should they sell those?

Many have meeting and social facilities on the ground floor, but the bishop lives in a few small rooms upstairs. Nothing wrong with that.
 
KCT said:
Keep in mind… in some places the homes are very old and were built with the church. Should they sell those?

Many have meeting and social facilities on the ground floor, but the bishop lives in a few small rooms upstairs. Nothing wrong with that.
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Exactly, many of the Episcopal Palaces are historic and the Church is doing a good service by possessing these and keeping them for future generations to appreciate, after all the one new york would be demolished and replaced with a monstrosity if the Church sold it.
 
Honestly, I have come to the conclusion that most rectories should be done away with. Ours is large enough to house at least 8 priests, and currently there are only two. If they are not going to use them to the fullest then maybe we don’t need them. I do not agree with nuns, priests or bishops living in mansions and million dollar abodes. Sorry folks, but it grates me, especially when all we hear is how little money there is for the poor, education, etc.

I would rather see priests living in simple homes or in groups of 8-12 in rectories that can provide that kind of space. And I actually have a problem with the Church building Churches on top of each other; as in 2 miles apart or even 5 miles apart. I don’t think that should happen. It is this type of move that made my Parish poor while the one built after it became the “wealthy Parish.”

We are not supposed to put our Pastors on a pedestal. There is no reason that living quarters for them need to be high priced mansions the rest of us could never afford. They could even live in one bedroom apartments. So, I am among those critical of the lavish lifestyles some seem to live. I think Christ would be critical also.
 
I agree that no priest, bishop, archbishop or even the pope himself needs to live in a palace. Jesus denounced such and I really don’t know how or why such living styles even got started. Priests and nuns take vows of poverty. Wearing a Rolex is not poverty and to me, it’s the very height of hypocrisy. When I see an archbishop living like a king and diving a cadillac, I don’t feel respect for him. I think he is clueless as to how his parishoners live and perhaps needs to go back to the seminary for awhile. Didn’t Jesus tell His apostles they were there to serve not to BE served? I wonder what Jesus would think and say about some of our church hierarchy if he ran into them today.🤷
 
Cricket2 said:
Honestly, I have come to the conclusion that most rectories should be done away with. Ours is large enough to house at least 8 priests, and currently there are only two. If they are not going to use them to the fullest then maybe we don’t need them. I do not agree with nuns, priests or bishops living in mansions and million dollar abodes. Sorry folks, but it grates me, especially when all we hear is how little money there is for the poor, education, etc.

I would rather see priests living in simple homes or in groups of 8-12 in rectories that can provide that kind of space. And I actually have a problem with the Church building Churches on top of each other; as in 2 miles apart or even 5 miles apart. I don’t think that should happen. It is this type of move that made my Parish poor while the one built after it became the “wealthy Parish.”

We are not supposed to put our Pastors on a pedestal. There is no reason that living quarters for them need to be high priced mansions the rest of us could never afford. They could even live in one bedroom apartments. So, I am among those critical of the lavish lifestyles some seem to live. I think Christ would be critical also.
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I think a good idea would be to have some sort of keep an eye out for overspending. However one must know that many bishops don’t take vows of poverty because they aren’t part of a religious order. So they are able to own things. The reason why Pope Francis is taking this issue more seriously is because he is a Jesuit and Jesuits take vows of poverty.
 
Smear job by CNN
Just look at the vitriolic comments by CNN’s readers.
 
Personally, I find their living styles pompous and extravagant. But that’s just my opinion, don’t beat me up over it!

SJ
 
The more lavish the surroundings they live in, the more I would be concerned that the archbishops might risk losing touch with the common man and his issues.

That doesn’t mean that archbishops and other chuirch leaders should live in rundown buildings, either, because their status warrants respect and dignity, in my view.

Although I am not Catholic, Pope Francis seems like a fine example for all Christians to emulate and is very Christ-like in his behavior. I am very impressed with him.
 
Tommy999 said:
I’d like your take on a CNN article I stumbled upon today on www.cnn.com when I went to see the latest headlines.

cnn.com/interactive/2014/08/us/american-archbishops-lavish-homes/?hpt=hp_c2

I’ve got mixed feelings on this issue. In my view, church leadership should set the standard for how Christians behave in the area of modesty and humility, like Pope Francis is doing. Based on the article, these archbishops seem to be doing the opposite of Pope Francis.

On the other hand, I see that having a nice home for archbishops is a way of showing them respect, honor, and gratitude. Your thoughts?
Click to expand...
I am really disappointed that some of our clergy choose to live in such opulence. I’ve always had the feeling that a lot them think they are princes and should be able to live as such. I know that it isn’t all of them,but it is way too many. I did a google search and was floored by some of the homes that they have as residences. I even read about one that had a large weekend home. How many faithful Catholics have a weekend home? I guess we’re too busy raising the large family’s that we are told to have.

“For where your treasure is, there is thy heart also” :confused:
 
adawgj said:
I don’t see any big deal of having the archbishop live in a big house. The President of the USA lives in a big house and has his own private Boeing E4 and yet we still pay our taxes.

The Church should definitely support architecture. I’m fine with it as long as it is accessible to people and more than one person lives in the house.
Click to expand...
What are the chances CNN does a story on that about rich Democrats, RINOs or the Obamas?
 
I’ve only seen a few archbishop’s residences. In my old childhood parish, the archbishop’s residence was a well built stone structure. Maybe some people considered it lavish. I didn’t. It was built to last 100 years. And it wasn’t just a residence. It was a chapel, where he archbishop said Mass every morning, and my family would often go to daily Mass there. It also had offices for the bishop and diocesan employees. So it wasn’t as though he was personally occupying a big lavish home.

Ironically, in the decades since then, the neighborhood has declined. The more affluent residents of the vicinity have long since moved out of the area. There is a boarded up grocery store nearby. But the current bishop still lives there.
 
This CNN article is ridiculous. The Bishops mentioned didn’t just build new homes. These were bought a long time ago, when real estate was much cheaper.

The Bishop homes are often used for fundraising and where visitors from the Vatican stay when in town.

Also, the homes are often used as an investment and sold when the diocese is in need (I.e. the Archdioceses of Boston and Philadelphia both sold theirs to help the archdiocese with money.

Finally, it’s not like the Bishops have the whole house for their personal usage. Often, they just have a small apartment or bed room in the house for themselves, much like priests. And often (not always) it’s the home for more than just the Bishop. Retired priests and/or other bishops (auxiliary, retired, etc) may live there too.

Where’s the article about some of these Protestant “mega church pastors” who build mansions with their own money from the tons they make from their congregations?

This article is really just anti-Catholicism.
 
garyo49 said:
I am really disappointed that some of our clergy choose to live in such opulence. I’ve always had the feeling that a lot them think they are princes and should be able to live as such. I know that it isn’t all of them,but it is way too many. I did a google search and was floored by some of the homes that they have as residences. I even read about one that had a large weekend home. How many faithful Catholics have a weekend home? I guess we’re too busy raising the large family’s that we are told to have.

“For where your treasure is, there is thy heart also” :confused:
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So you want them to sell all the homes now and move into some Parish’s rectory? Or rent an apartment at a cost to the diocese?

The bishops should stay in the homes they currently own and sell them only if the diocese needs money. Kind of like cashing in an investment.
 
Starrsmother said:
I agree that no priest, bishop, archbishop or even the pope himself needs to live in a palace. Jesus denounced such and I really don’t know how or why such living styles even got started. **Priests and nuns take vows of poverty. ** Wearing a Rolex is not poverty and to me, it’s the very height of hypocrisy. When I see an archbishop living like a king and diving a cadillac, I don’t feel respect for him. I think he is clueless as to how his parishoners live and perhaps needs to go back to the seminary for awhile. Didn’t Jesus tell His apostles they were there to serve not to BE served? I wonder what Jesus would think and say about some of our church hierarchy if he ran into them today.🤷
Click to expand...
Diocesan Priests do NOT take a vow of poverty. Only Religious Order priests do (and not all of them). Priest make very little money, unless they are also college professors, etc. What a diocesan priest chooses to spend his money on is his business. Not ours.

Just because he saves his money and buys a nice car or watch doesn’t mean he’s not holy. Also, how do you know his parents or siblings didn’t buy it for him?!?!

Diocesan Priests typically range between only $18,000 to $30,000 based on where they live, and Bishops average around $25,000

They make basically nothing. The least we can do as laity for their sacrifice is let them live in a comfortable place where they live with human dignity. It shouldn’t be like a jail or ****** dorm room.

See this from 2007
catholicdigest.com/articles/faith/knowledge/2007/10-01/how-much-money-does-a-parish-priest-make

This is from 2012
m.huffpost.com/us/entry/1204870
 
Comfortable living is the new sin for Catholics. If the MSM can’t dig up dirt on a bishop hiding abuser priests then they will dig up financial dirt. This is the new way to lynch bishops in public, by using their finances against them, even if they haven’t done anything wrong.

Pope Francis’ example is a nice ideal. But we must always keep in mind that the Holy Father is a Jesuit who has indeed taken a vow of poverty. He is bound to live a simple life and his choices reflect the fact that he is still faithful to his vows even as Supreme Pontiff. However, I feel it is inappropriate to apply this standard to all prelates worldwide. As has been said, many of them often enjoy assets which are the patrimony of the local church. These assets do not belong to them any more than my body belongs to me - we are the stewards of these things and required to do the right thing with them. An asset, by the way, is something which earns money when properly managed. To sell an asset except in dire financial need is a foolish mistake. Therefore, the bishops whose dioceses are not utterly bankrupted by the sexual abuse lawsuits are well within their rights to cultivate and care for these assets, keeping them in trust for future generations.
 
Cricket2 said:
Honestly, I have come to the conclusion that most rectories should be done away with. Ours is large enough to house at least 8 priests, and currently there are only two. If they are not going to use them to the fullest then maybe we don’t need them. I do not agree with nuns, priests or bishops living in mansions and million dollar abodes. Sorry folks, but it grates me, especially when all we hear is how little money there is for the poor, education, etc.

I would rather see priests living in simple homes or in groups of 8-12 in rectories that can provide that kind of space. And I actually have a problem with the Church building Churches on top of each other; as in 2 miles apart or even 5 miles apart. I don’t think that should happen. It is this type of move that made my Parish poor while the one built after it became the “wealthy Parish.”

We are not supposed to put our Pastors on a pedestal. There is no reason that living quarters for them need to be high priced mansions the rest of us could never afford. They could even live in one bedroom apartments. So, I am among those critical of the lavish lifestyles some seem to live. I think Christ would be critical also.
Click to expand...
  1. rectories are owned by the parishes.
  2. you can’t start selling them because we have a lot of older priests who will be retiring. We need room for them to live and for the priests who replace them.
  3. just like bishop homes, these rectories are already paid for… They are an investment for a rainy day. We CANNOT have the parish start selling them off so we can give more money to the poor. We need the laity to start contributing closer to the 10% tithe like they should be.
 
garyo49 said:
I am really disappointed that some of our clergy choose to live in such opulence. I’ve always had the feeling that a lot them think they are princes and should be able to live as such. I know that it isn’t all of them,but it is way too many. I did a google search and was floored by some of the homes that they have as residences. I even read about one that had a **large weekend home. How many faithful Catholics have a weekend home? ** I guess we’re too busy raising the large family’s that we are told to have.

“For where your treasure is, there is thy heart also” :confused:
Click to expand...
The “weekend homes” are not for the weekend. They are/were retreat homes for the priests to say when they were on “vacation.”

Priests are required to go on a spiritual retreat every so often. Some diocese owned their own retreat house for their priests and Bishops. Other diocese don’t have them and have to pay for their priests and bishops to attend.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia used to own one on the Jersey Shore, but recently sold it to an organization that runs Catholic retreats. So now, our priests have to pay to go their religious retreats.

Priests sacrifice a lot for God, the Church, and us. We should be taking care of them, not wanting them to live like homeless people.

How many times do any of you buy your pastor a Christmas gift or birthday gift? How about just a CARD? How many of you send them a Christmas Card, Easter Card and Birthday Card?

I think its time that we stop and look ourselves in the mirror. My pastor from my childhood and teen years had a stroke and needed someone to take care of him. So a member of the Parish took him in. He’s lived there for years now and that family treats him like he’s family. How many of you would do that? We either need volunteers to take care of our elderly priests or the dioceses must have places for them.

God Bless
 
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