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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Skeeter Bug who wrote (122086)	4/19/2010 6:27:04 PM
From: Freedom Fighter	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 132070

skeeter, I'm not sure what the moral way to operate a church actually is. Clearly, if priests, pastors, bishops, cardinals, or the pope are out partying and living luxurious lives akin to what we've seen among some high profile ministries over the years something is amiss. If they are stealing money from the poor box for personal gain something is also amiss. (like the Bakers for example) Typically what parishioners expect is that their priests will be comfortable, but without any excess. That has been my experience throughout NYC, Long Island, and anywhere else I've visited. Some parishes have more than others because the parishioners have more and donate more, but I have yet to see any real excesses in any parish anywhere. It's true that sometimes the priests have it a little better than some of the members of the parish, but those are the very people the church tends to help by giving them a break on tuition for their children or other support. At the same time, in order to help and influence people on a local and global scale it is inevitable that any church will accumulate vast wealth in real estate (all the Churches, rectories, school houses, convents etc..) and a portfolio of liquid investments it uses to operate and help people. I know that the Catholic Church has a lot of accumulated wealth, but don't see anything wrong with that as long as it is used for good over time. I am more upset by occasional displays of wealth at the Vatican. IMO there is something wrong with flaunting wealth even if the local population wants it to be part of the show. On to Mayweather and Mosely. ;-)