How to answer a Non Catholic's question about pope?

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PumpkinSeed said:
I’m taking about the possessions the pope uses. His hat, and his cane, or just all the Gold or jewelry he is around / wears., ECT.

And only certain people are allowed in the vaults and only certain people are allowed to look through the stuff.

I’m not saying its bad, I’m just saying its lavish stuff that not everyone would be able to just go touch or mess around with. It belongs to the church. Not everyone else, but the church. Even though we make up the church, we don’t have the authority to touch or use all the churches things.
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How many art museums let you go in and “touch” anything? How many people have “touched” the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian?

There are many ancient, and delicate items stored in the vaults. These are handled by trained professionals and stored in such a way as to preserve them.

From Wiki, “According to the website of the Archives, the oldest surviving document dates back to the end of the eighth century.”

Do you really want some 8 year old kid to be allowed to “touch or mess around with” something like this?
 
PumpkinSeed said:
I’m taking about the possessions the pope uses. His hat, and his cane, or just all the Gold or jewelry he is around / wears., ECT.

And only certain people are allowed in the vaults and only certain people are allowed to look through the stuff.

I’m not saying its bad, I’m just saying its lavish stuff that not everyone would be able to just go touch or mess around with. It belongs to the church. Not everyone else, but the church. Even though we make up the church, we don’t have the authority to touch or use all the churches things.
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True, I wonder if it has something to do with the Church’s Teachings on relics… You know, buried under most altars, there lies the bones of martyrs which are kept hidden from public view. Maybe the Popes have seen some significance with old paintings and artwork, in which the Popes have been given direction by the Holy Spirit to protect them from desecration. Surely there could be spiritual value in these things that we cannot understand. Perhaps they serve as a point of reflection, or will serve as one…🤷
 
twopekinguys said:
How many art museums let you go in and “touch” anything? How many people have “touched” the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian?

There are many ancient, and delicate items stored in the vaults. These are handled by trained professionals and stored in such a way as to preserve them.

From Wiki, “According to the website of the Archives, the oldest surviving document dates back to the end of the eighth century.”

Do you really want some 8 year old kid to be allowed to “touch or mess around with” something like this?
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Thats what I said. I said they do that to protect it.

My point is that its still doesn’t belong to us and we dont have the right to touch it, so therefore I dont believe we all own it
 
PumpkinSeed said:
Thats what I said. I said they do that to protect it.

My point is that its still doesn’t belong to us and we dont have the right to touch it, so therefore I dont believe we all own it
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But the point is, it does belong to everyone. We have appointed curators to take care of and preserve them, and have given them the appropriate powers to maintain them.

There have been numerous documentaries showing some of the items that are not currently on display to the public. One of them showed several of the older Papal Tiaras, and various Crosiers used during different pontifical reins. It was well produced, and reached a very large audience. But the fact remains it was done under the direction of those people trained in handling such rare and valuable artifacts.

Also, like many other museums, exhibits are changed every so often to allow more collections to be exhibited. After all, everything can’t be on display at all times.

I will say it again. These items belong to the Church as a whole, but are being maintained by properly trained personnel who know how to best preserve such things.

I am not a big fan of Wiki for references, but this does appear pretty accurate. Read it here.
 
PumpkinSeed said:
Thats what I said. I said they do that to protect it.

My point is that its still doesn’t belong to us and we dont have the right to touch it, so therefore I dont believe we all own it
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You can’t touch the Declaration of Independence. Do you believe you own it?
 
rinnie said:
I agree. Maybe they should all follow him in this lavish lifestyel. Bet the world would be a better place.

Lets see, he devotes over half of his day in prayer. He goes to confession usually every day. He defends the truth of God and his Church.

He teaches and preaches the word of God, practically every moment of his life.

By the way are we not all called to live this lavish lifestyle?😃
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What a beautiful role model!
 
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aicirt:
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PumpkinSeed:
You can’t touch the Declaration of Independence. Do you believe you own it?
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Nope. It certainly isn’t mine.
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Why would anyone even want to own it?
 
robwar said:
point out that the Pope like all other priests has taken a vow of poverty. he doesn’t own any of the buildings in the vatican. The appearance of riches at the vatican do not personally belong to the Pope. Ask them if they are bothered by the many protestant “ministers” who do live very lavish lifestyles and flaunt it.
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Not all priests take a vow of poverty. That is almost always an ordered priest that lives in community.
 
peace2u2 said:
What a beautiful role model!
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You are so right. Are we not the most Blessed People in the world, to have such a wonderful, loving Man who lives for nothing but to bring us all to the Love and safe arms of Christ and his Blessed Mother.

Wouldn’t it be mice if people just wanted to talk about what he did, how he lived his life, and what he has done and taught others about Christ. Instead of where he lives, the clothes he wears, or what he eats or drinks.

How about how he fasts, how he does not have the company of a women. Insead of where he lives or what he wears, how about what he gave up?

He gave up his own secret pasions and desires, all of his life. To serve ONE person and one Person only the Almighty God.

He gave up having his own Children and family, so he could be the Holy Father to us all. He called each of us to follow God, and adopted us as his own children. And loves each and every one of us, like a true Father should.

His only goal in life is not money, power, big vacations, women, planes, huge houses, to do with whatever he chooses.

He lives in a house that will never be his, he works for nothing, he only has a roof over his head and food to eat. But he works 24 hours a day. He is always on call. Gets no overtime. No down time. Has no time to himself to do what he wants to do.

The stress he carries is our sins, his life is praying for all of us, so that we can turn from our sinful ways and turn back to the true Father, God the Father.

When he gets AIR time, its all about Christ, and how we should love one another, be kinder to one another, respect human life, quit killing our own babies, Having repsect for what is important human life, and human beings instead of thinking of ourself.

Yes what a wonderful role model we have. God has kept his promise, He has not left us orphans, He is working hard through the Pope with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Praise be to God.
 
rinnie said:
:confused: I thought every Roman Catholic Priest has taken that vow?
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Chastity and obedience for diocesan priests, Chastity, obedience, and poverty for ordered priests (i.e. Dominicans, Benedictines, etc.)

Back in the day, many people would leave things to an individual priest in their will. A diocesan priest could accept it, where an ordered priest would turn it over to their community.

Diocesan priests own their own cars, where ordered priests cars are owned by their community.
 
Actually, the pope seems to have some amount of money. He recently donated $250,000 (that’s in US Dollars) to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It was assumed that this money, coming in US Dollars, was the his royalties from his US publisher. So, even if he has money, he donates it liberally.
PumpkinSeed said:
The things that he wears are provided by the church.

How much money does he even make? None id assume, right?

Where does he go when hes done being Pope?
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Usbek_de_Perse said:
Actually, the pope seems to have some amount of money. He recently donated $250,000 (that’s in US Dollars) to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It was assumed that this money, coming in US Dollars, was the his royalties from his US publisher. So, even if he has money, he donates it liberally.
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The Pope personally ‘owns’ NOTHING, including royalties from the volumes he pens whilst being a priest to Pope. Everything he gains or monetarily makes in his priestly life goes to the church! The donations and aide ‘he’ may authorise come from that pool and has to be through accountants of the Vatican so that every penny is accounted for.

He doesn’t have a personal bank account like, Creflo Dollar, for instance.

When Benedict took office, he brought one big suitcase and a smaller suitcase! That is about what he will leave this life with, visually, materially.

When Blessed JP2 died, the world stood still, momentarily, as most world leaders attended his funeral. Yet, he, had nothing that could be said was his, other than his personal effects from the Papal rooms which were cleared out in a suitcase to make room for Benedict and his suitcase!

There was no mention of millions of dollars going to JP2’s family, because there is none!

Every soul on the planet can lay claim (ownership) to what Vatican City possesses by referring to these historical items to prove their existence or as evidence of any event or time ‘they’ originated from. In that sense, they are evidence of the human experience from around the globe, through time, and everyone ‘owns’ them. The Smithsonian Museum is a similar human venture.

The major difference, and WHY they cannot be sold, is that most world museums display artifacts that were/may be STOLEN from other cultures or places on the globe, whereas the Vatican house that which are marks of The Church’s sojournment throughout her life!..from Her children, by Her children, for ALL Her children!

:cool:
 
The Holy Father is surrounded by art and architecture created by believers for the glory of God. The Church is entrusted with preserving and protecting it and in most cases, displaying it,at enormous expense. These “things” do not belong to the Pope and although beautiful and valuable…they are not for sale and never will be. The fact that the Pope is surrounded by these beautiful things does not mean he is wealthy any more than the guards at the Fort Knox vault are wealthy.
Most successful leaders of non Catholic denoms have their own private wealth which for the most part comes from the pockets of their admirers, and in many cases there are lots of pockets and much private wealth. This wealth is theirs to do with as they wish in contrast with the Pope. Some examples of wealthy non Catholic leaders have already been listed…thanks for the opportunity to contrast the Pope with people such as Joel Osteen and others.👍
 
When some people think of Vatican City, what they immediately picture is something like a wealthy kingdom, complete with palatial living accommodations for the pope and chests of gold tucked away in every corner, not to mention the fabulous collection of priceless art and artifacts. Looking at it that way, it’s easy to see how some people would become indignant at what they think is an ostentatious and wasteful show of wealth.

But the truth is something quite different. While the main buildings are called the “Vatican Palace,” it wasn’t built to be the lavish living quarters of the pope. In fact, the residential part of the Vatican is relatively small. The greater portion of the Vatican is given over to purposes of art and science, administration of the Church’s official business, and management of the Palace in general. Quite a number of Church and administrative officials live in the Vatican with the pope, making it more like the Church’s main headquarters.

As for the impressive art collection, truly one of the finest in the world, the Vatican views it as “an irreplaceable treasure,” but not in monetary terms. The pope doesn’t “own” these works of art and couldn’t sell them if he wanted to; they’re merely in the care of the Holy See. The art doesn’t even provide the Church with wealth; actually, it’s just the opposite. The Holy See invests quite a bit of its resources into the upkeep of the collection.

The truth of the matter is that the See has a fairly tight financial budget. So why keep the art? It goes back to a belief in the Church’s mission (one of many) as a civilizing force in the world. Just like the medieval monks who carefully transcribed ancient texts so they would be available to future generations — texts that otherwise would have been lost forever — the Church continues to care for the arts so they will not be forgotten over time. In today’s culture of death where the term “civilization” can only be used loosely, the Church’s civilizing mission is as important today as it ever was.
SHALOM
GOD BLESS YOU on your journey : ) !!!

Edit: an economist i know estimate that the total amount of art and stuff in the vatican could feed 600,000 of the worlds poor for 6 days :cool:
 
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