I wasn't aware the Pope was a man of monetary means?
Where did he get 1/2 million to donate to them? Donations? That is a lot of collection plate cash!
Guess the Pope can do what he likes with his Holy money, and I guess there is good money in religion. I myself do not monetize my faith, but to each their own.
Maybe the Pope could open up the Vatican and we could rent a fleet of cruise ships and send them there? I'd be willing to donate for that cause! Lets send them to the Vatican, they already have great big walls!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
Now we turn to the Holy See, which is the ecclesiastical administration headed by the pope in Rome. This encompasses the Secretariat of State, 9 congregations, 3 tribunals, 11 pontifical councils, 5 offices dealing with the immediate office, household, liturgical services and press room of the pontiff, the Central Office of Statistics of the Church, 5 pontifical commissions and 2 pontifical committees, 3 pontifical academies, the Vatican Archives, the Vatican Library, the Apostolic Almonery, the Synod of Bishops, the Vatican Publishing House, the Vatican Printing Press, L'Osservatore Romano, Vatican Radio and Television, plus 118 pontifical embassies and 9 delegations at international organizations.
According to statements based on the Consolidated Financial Statement of the Holy See for fiscal year 2004, the Holy See took in 61.2 million in revenues and after expenses ended up with a 2.4 million surplus.
That ^^^ is basically what the Pope has direct control of, but as a whole, the Catholic church would be worth tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars worldwide based on what I'm finding online. Also, the people who run the Vatican Bank report to the Pope too. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_for_the_Works_of_Religion
I think the Pope could come up with a half million dollars pretty easily every day, and twice on Sunday.
I am pretty sure that all Catholic churches around the world do not pay a duty or "tax" to the Vatican, however this is just an assumption on my part since I don't know what they pay or to whom.
But according to your research above the pope could give away $500,000 for about 5 days without running the ship into the red. That is a far cry from every day and twice on Sunday.
Again, the Vatican, the Pope and the Catholic people are free to do as they please with their money. Religious organizations do not pay taxes, so if anything it's a form of giving back - even if what they are doing amounts to aiding and abetting invaders of the USA.
That is why I suggested we rent out several cruise liners and send all these deprived South Americans to live in the Vatican while it can be sorted out... Let them all mull around Italy for awhile and let's see how they handle it! How much you want to bet that they would shut down the port and close the gates to the Vatican upon arrival?
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
