Should we give money to Peter's Pence after the Vatican raid?

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A few days before the Amazon Synod started we learned about the misappropriation of “Hundreds of millions of Euro destined for…the poor" in Peter’s Pence, the annual charitable fund collected from individual Catholics, the bulk of which came from Americans.

According to documents Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with the help of his deputy Archbishop Peña Parra, manages Peter’s Pence to the tune of about $715 million. The two are "now accused of misappropriation of $200 million from Peter’s Pence towards the purchase of an upscale property on Sloane Avenue in London’s Chelsea district. “The Daily Beast claims the apartments were [used by clergy for immoral sexual purposes”.](h

I am just heartbroken.

Of course these are only the charges. Exactly what happened will take some time to be revealed.

But consider: Peña Parra has been previously accused of homosexual immorality, including charges he seduced two seminarians in 1990, and that according to Archbishop Viganò, Parra had some connection to "Two corpses …found naked, with evidence of macabre homosexual lewd encounters” on the island of San Carlos.

What do you think? I’ve decided not to contribute to Peter’s Pence. Instead I’ll give my money to solid Catholic schools to pay for tuition for poor students. Anybody else another suggestion?
 
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Its a tough call.

Do you, or do you not, give alms to a homeless person simply based on the assumption that they will spend the money on drugs or alcohol.

Giving the alms without conditions is the charitable act that God calls us to fulfill …what the recipient of our charitable act does is not our concern, but rather it is between them and God.

Charity is a pure act of love. Pure love comes from the heart, without conditions. We see that in the Covenants made between God and man…When man did not live up to the covenant God still held His end of the promise up.

Be at peace.
 
Do what I do. Instead of paying money to PP, I use the money by buying brown scapulars and giving them out to the parishioners free of charge.
 
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Another option is to team up with a few other parishioners and sponsor a particular needy family for a year. Groceries, medical care costs, basic clothing needs, utility bills, etc. Often, charities will help a family like this, but only if it is in crisis. It can take many months to recover from a financial crisis, so sponsoring a family for a 12 month period in helping with these costs can really make a difference in the ability for them to get back on their feet, on solid ground.
 
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For a reason other than this latest scandal I only give to my parish and diocese. Mostly my parish.
 
The Daily Beast is not a source I use to determine where my donations go. I read a different version of this story online (can’t remember where), and the purchase of the building was, at a minimum, ill-advised. One individual interviewed about it said they should be able to get the money back by finishing the project (renovations) and leasing or selling the suites. There was no mention of homosexual activity in the version I read.
 
After the ecoli mess in 1993, Jack-in-the-Box was the safest place on earth to eat. Now that the raid has taken place, Peter’s Pence will be watched like a hawk.

As for me, a goodly portion of my charitable giving goes to Africa. Primarily to:
  1. The Missionaries of Africa (Catholic)
  2. Sudan Relief Fund (Catholic)
Even a few dollars buys antibiotics which will actually save a life. They are also digging wells and other basics which we take for granted. Our fellow Catholics, other Christians and Muslims all benefit from this, knowing who has provided it.
 
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annem said:
What do you think? I’ve decided not to contribute to Peter’s Pence. Instead I’ll give my money to solid Catholic schools to pay for tuition for poor students. Anybody else another suggestion?
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How about Mass offerings/intentions for stipends - 100% of your giving goes directly to a great cause…
 
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The problem with Peter’s Pence is that it is basically a slush fund for the Pope and the Vatican. The entire account is “off the books” and there is no accountability and no transparency about what happens to the money. The money could be going to help the poor and other various charitable causes throughout the world, or the few Cardinals that have control over it could be spending it on more homosexual drug-fueled orgies in the Vatican; we don’t know. So it’s a leap of faith on the laity’s part that the money is actually being used for its stated purpose.

Based on the reports that have been coming out recently about the money being used to finance real estate deals and refurbishing apartments in London, it looks like it is questionable whether or not all of the money is really being used for charitable causes. Maybe these are legitimate uses and they were just trying to grow investments, even if they ended up losing money in the end. Or maybe they were being used by clergy for some other less-than-noble purpose. The bottom line is that I don’t think it should be held against anyone who chooses to give money to another respectable charity of their choosing. I would say anyone who chooses not to give money to Peter’s Pence is justified in withholding their donation based on the news that has come out recently.
 
I like how the Vatican wanted to whine about the “theft” of the Pachamamas when millions of dollars were literally being stolen from under their noses. :roll_eyes:
 
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I was just heartsick about the Pachamama fertility statues.

There have been a lot of good suggestions of where to send money. Especially to support seminarians - we so need new, holy priests! Also I have been supporting Aid to the Church in Need, which really seems a wonderful organization.
 
Give if you want, do not if you don’t. I will continue. My level of cynicism is not greater than my desire to avoid personal judgement (yet). That is my gauge.
 
Beware! Another example of “wrong think” Spoooky!
 
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It seems to me that it is difficult to ensure that any donations go to a good cause. Even if earmarked for “parish” needs, that just means that more will be taken out of the non-specified funds to go to the diocese, or Rome for whatever the bishops want.

For the last few years our parish has had the building fund combined with the diocesan development fund. The DDF is served first, and if there are any left-overs, it goes to the building fund - even if all of it was earmarked for the building fund.

As an alternative, giving your time and talent might be better for some than giving their treasure. At least you can ensure it’s given to a good cause.
 
Accusations are not themselves evidence of guilt; and Mother Church is a target for many who hate her.
 
DIERM said:
Do you, or do you not, give alms to a homeless person simply based on the assumption that they will spend the money on drugs or alcohol.
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I’d sooner risk being scammed out of a couple of dollars than deny food money to someone who really needs it.
 
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