Is Pope Francis preparing to resign

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
I'm not Catholic so I couldn't care less who the Pope is. I'm surprised that so many people do consider him an authority figure.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
An authority figure in the way that the largest single owner of property in the world is regarded.

Technically, Queen Elizabeth is.

The Pope doesn't even get a salary, although he lives in what anyone would call a palace and has his every need cared for. He doesn't actually own the property of the Catholic Church any more than the President owns all the land in the United States.

In fact, McDonald's has more land than the Catholic Church does.
 

HemiHauler

Well-Known Member
Technically, Queen Elizabeth is.

The Pope doesn't even get a salary, although he lives in what anyone would call a palace and has his every need cared for. He doesn't actually own the property of the Catholic Church any more than the President owns all the land in the United States.

In fact, McDonald's has more land than the Catholic Church does.

Not true. See the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Not true. See the Lateran Treaty of 1929.
Which part?

If you want to split hairs, the Catholic Church isn't any more a legal entity than any other religion, and the thousands of Catholic parishes around the world are separate entities that function in communion with the others. Vatican City is probably about as far as anyone can claim belongs to the Pope, but he doesn't own it - he can't bequeath it or sell it. He does have the ability to declare how much is spent on this or that - even for a luxury should he choose - but he doesn't.

Just to be clear - I'm not Catholic but I was until about 45 years ago. My family isn't Catholic, nor do I really know very many. I went to Catholic schools, but that's about it. I'm not "defending" my church, because it's not mine. But when I began attending Protestant churches, I found myself constantly surrounded by people saying things about Catholics that weren't even CLOSE.
 

HemiHauler

Well-Known Member
Which part?

If you want to split hairs, the Catholic Church isn't any more a legal entity than any other religion, and the thousands of Catholic parishes around the world are separate entities that function in communion with the others. Vatican City is probably about as far as anyone can claim belongs to the Pope, but he doesn't own it - he can't bequeath it or sell it. He does have the ability to declare how much is spent on this or that - even for a luxury should he choose - but he doesn't.

Just to be clear - I'm not Catholic but I was until about 45 years ago. My family isn't Catholic, nor do I really know very many. I went to Catholic schools, but that's about it. I'm not "defending" my church, because it's not mine. But when I began attending Protestant churches, I found myself constantly surrounded by people saying things about Catholics that weren't even CLOSE.

I understand the point you're making, but the Catholic Church cannot operate under civil law unless it is a legal entity. The Lateran Treaty established the Church as a legal entity. You are right, the Pope doesn't own anything. The Holy See does.

I am not a practicing Catholic, but had a Catholic education thru graduate school.
 

OccamsRazor

Well-Known Member
Technically, Queen Elizabeth is.

The Pope doesn't even get a salary, although he lives in what anyone would call a palace and has his every need cared for. He doesn't actually own the property of the Catholic Church any more than the President owns all the land in the United States.

In fact, McDonald's has more land than the Catholic Church does.
Hmmm. I guess Google is wrong too then....

Who'd of thunk?
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
I understand the point you're making, but the Catholic Church cannot operate under civil law unless it is a legal entity. The Lateran Treaty established the Church as a legal entity. You are right, the Pope doesn't own anything. The Holy See does.

I am not a practicing Catholic, but had a Catholic education thru graduate school.

The thousands of separate parishes and dioceses ARE legal entities - as is Vatican City. They do not function as one corporate entity. You can no more sue "the Catholic Church" any more than you can sue Hinduism or Islam. You CAN sue a diocese or a parish and that has happened.

It may seem as though it is that way to a casual observer - but just because the Pope says abortion is murder doesn't mean that Catholics throughout the world don't do it - a LOT.

As I understand it, the Lateran Treaty established VATICAN CITY as a legal entity. The Vatican is NOT the Catholic church any more than the Blue Mosque is Islam.

I heard this kind of stuff many years ago, assailing the Catholic Church as being obscenely rich, when outside of property owned by the Vatican and distinctly separate parishes - they have astonishingly less. In the are I went to school in NE Pa, churches, schools and such are closing down all over - because they're no longer supporting themselves, which is how they function, and the diocese can not afford to assist.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Hmmm. I guess Google is wrong too then....

Who'd of thunk?
Well it's on the Internet, so I guess it MUST be true.....

Even my earlier point about McDonald's having more land is tongue in cheek, because technically, most of them are franchised and the company as a whole does not own the land collectively.

The Southern Baptist Church has about 45-50 thousand churches - but the SBC does not "own" them all.
 
Top