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[-] JokeDeity@lemm.ee 3 points 1 hour ago
[-] Sixtyforce@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 hour ago

Can all the nations they stole artifacts and trinkets from get them back when they declare bankruptcy? /s

[-] drmoose@lemmy.world 21 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Except they have billions in stolen art and could liquidate it at any point. If not trillions, actually.

Nobody knows exactly what Vatican has but Porphyry Basin in the Vatican Museum is estimated to be worth 2$ billion alone (it was commissioned by Emperor Nero).

Vatican could literally end the world hunger with their treasure hoard.

[-] ladicius@lemmy.world 1 points 1 minute ago

Why would they want to end world hunger? What could motivate them to do so?

Hmm...

[-] mr_satan 20 points 4 hours ago
[-] Matriks404@lemmy.world 7 points 4 hours ago

I am an agnostic so my opinion might not be worth anything to Christians (or Catholics specifically), but I don't really see the point in organized church structures. If you believe in God, support his ideals, why do you need to go to church anyway, or at least why would you want your local church support some big hierarchy (often with controversial opinions or actions) for your money?

[-] Kiwi_fella@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago

It's been a long while since I was involved in a church, but my recollection of the Bible isn't able to reference anything that implies there is a need for the hierarchy associated with the Catholic Church, or similar. It kind of says you can have a personal relationship with God, and I don't recall anything about Mary being special in any way aside from giving birth to the so called Messiah.

[-] bluewing@lemm.ee 6 points 3 hours ago

Same reason people go to comicons or music concerts or protests. People just want to be with others who believe in and like the same things as they do. It's a pretty simple and basic human behavior.

[-] Tilgare@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

"Faith without works is dead."

[-] Skates@feddit.nl 10 points 4 hours ago
[-] Colour_me_triggered@lemm.ee 4 points 3 hours ago

Ummmm... Fuck them?

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 26 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Sell your fucking chair, you clown.

disgustingly gold chair

[-] donuts@lemmy.world 13 points 6 hours ago

Pope Francis got rid of that already, some 10 years ago.

I haven't seen him on that chair since, but I'm sure it's somewhere collecting dust.

[-] mudstickmcgee@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 minutes ago

Not sitting on it == getting rid of it

[-] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 17 points 6 hours ago
[-] BigBenis@lemmy.world 32 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Thoughts and prayers!

[-] Donebrach@lemmy.world 19 points 7 hours ago

Aww geez, our 1500 year old grift isn’t working as well as it used to, sad!

[-] sexy_peach@feddit.org 15 points 9 hours ago
[-] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 22 points 11 hours ago

What little concessions they made to progressives was far too little too late while former popes sided with child abusers and rapists.

[-] NaNin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 hours ago

Martin Luther has entered the chat

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 11 points 7 hours ago

The joke is that Francis was still too far left for the big money Opus Dei Catholics in The United States and Europe.

They weren't friendly enough to the rapists. That's why the donations are drying up

[-] shasta@lemm.ee 1 points 3 hours ago

Or maybe it's because people can't afford to donate money when they can barely afford rent and groceries

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 1 points 16 minutes ago

The Catholic Church isn't getting the bulk of its money from lay voters. Their influence is rooted in the large, wealthy communities of the old money aristocracy and newer money financial sectors. Big donations have historically granted members an elevated role in the civilian side of the church. And churches are highly influential in promoting business relationships and political careers.

Of late, the American branch of the Catholic Church - historically a huge contributor to the Vatican directly and to foreign missions internationally - has cultivated a very far-right orientation within its political wing. You can see that in the conversion of current VP-elect JD Vance to Catholicism back in 2019. This, along with far-right catholic politicians like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and Jim Risch having increasing influence over US foreign policy. And the elevation of a slew of Catholic SCOTUS judges - Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett - five of the last eight seated over twenty years.

These political leaders and the big financial interests that back them (US Bancorp, Bank of America, and Fidelity Investments most notably) are all historical Catholic Church mega-donors. The Catholic Church runs some of the biggest charities in the US (and the world). And diversion of funds from "Peter's Pence" (donations directly to the Vatican) to regional church organizations administered by Americans with loyalty to their right-wing local parties, is what's cutting into the available funds.

Report: Catholic charitable giving (and the church) are moving to the Southwest, July 2023

Last year, just under half of all Fidelity Charitable donors (48 percent) directed grants to religious houses of worship, the report found, down two points from three years earlier. A closer examination of the report reveals which nonprofits receive support, and Catholic organizations, which include dioceses as well as human services organizations with church ties, continue to rank among the top beneficiaries of support in many U.S. cities.

...

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, nearly $46 billion was dispersed from donor-advised funds in the United States in 2021. That is a massive increase from just nine years earlier, when about $8.5 billion was given to charities from these funds.

The Catholic organizations - particularly in the US - are not running out of cash. The Vatican is running out of cash.

[-] Clent@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 11 hours ago

Time to start selling Indulgences again.

[-] nucleative@lemmy.world 41 points 13 hours ago

Just pray. If your God is the creator of the universe, it's pretty likely he can handle the situation once you let him know.

[-] conartistpanda@lemmy.world 11 points 10 hours ago

Dont forget the thoughts.

[-] billwashere@lemmy.world 26 points 13 hours ago

Just sell some real estate…. They’ll be fine.

[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 35 points 14 hours ago

"Man who lives in a golden palace complains about money troubles. "

[-] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 3 hours ago

If only we could all live in our own personal "country".

[-] uebquauntbez@lemmy.world 10 points 9 hours ago

Sounds like any billionaire when tax collectors visit.

[-] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 4 points 7 hours ago

Good, because if they expect bills this means they are finally being held responsible for something

[-] beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 14 hours ago

Anyone think this is some independently verified fact?

THEY’RE CLAIMING THIS TO GET OUT OF PAYING ALL THE LAWSUITS they get because of all the r4pe & 4bus3 of little children

[-] threeduck@aussie.zone 23 points 8 hours ago

You can say rape and abuse

[-] Robust_Mirror@aussie.zone 0 points 4 hours ago

Just as they can choose not to. That's the beauty of free will.

[-] Donebrach@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

But me triggered from reading a word!

[-] Coskii@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 hours ago

At that point avoiding using those words entirely seems like a better way. Could have just stopped at lawsuits. The rest is implied and considering the source most people are very aware.

[-] Donebrach@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

It is a cowardly act to not use words when they are useable and applicable, especially when discussing heinous actions. To not is to brush such actions under the rug.

[-] OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 hours ago

But then they wouldn't get to talk in 1337speak like a cool cyberpunk hacker.

[-] Alpha71@lemmy.world 41 points 16 hours ago

Well it's a good thing they have all that priceless art they can sell...

[-] yannic@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 minutes ago

Do museums actually do that?

[-] WoodScientist@lemmy.world 17 points 14 hours ago

They could always start selling indulgences again!

In fact, they could even expand beyond the traditional Catholic market. Even Muslims get into Catholic heaven if they're willing to cut a big enough check! Maybe you can get some atheist billionaire to buy a $1 billion "just in case" indulgence.

[-] Valmond@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

I see a business opportunity here, who knows how to code a website 🤑😋?

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this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2024
484 points (97.3% liked)

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