THE VATICAN IS THE RICHEST ENTITY ON EARTH

Purgatory and indulgences are two of the greatest fundraisers of all time! It is common knowledge that the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, and the self-atonement of indulgences (which Rome claimed would grant people an early release from Purgatory, yet none of them can tell you if, and when, or who has been released), is how the popes raised the money to build St. Peter’s Basilica, and allowed the Vatican to become what is, undoubtedly the richest empire on earth. Think I’m exaggerating? Try crunching these numbers.

There are currently an estimated 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world. According to Georgetown University, the average weekly donation of an American Catholic is $10. There are 85 million Catholics in North America alone. The weekly offering (the real number is known only to Rome) is staggering. Now, multiply that by 52 weeks a year. Now, consider the fact that Roman Catholicism has “churches” taking collections in just about every country in the world, and has been for some 1700 years!

The immensity of material wealth accumulated by the Vatican is incalculable. It includes:  The largest art collection in the world with many priceless works by the great masters; including Michelangelo and Raphael, worldwide real estate holdings, vast gold reserves, millions of shares of stock in multinational corporations and international banks such as the Federal Reserve, and its own bank. The Vatican Bank is a totally independent financial institution protected by diplomatic immunity and shrouded in secrecy. Like the Federal Reserve, the Vatican Bank has never been audited by an outside auditing firm, has never released a complete financial statement, and is accountable to no one.

In fact, the Vatican claims diplomatic immunity when investigators have attempted to pierce its “holy veil” to examine numerous claims of criminal activity, such as embezzlement and money laundering. Its history (what we know of it) includes working with Hitler during WWII, money laundering for the Italian Mafia, and providing hundreds of millions in “hush money” to silence the families of victims of pedophile priests worldwide. This is only the tip of the iceberg. The Holy Roman Empire is so vast, it defies any rational assessment, and it is accountable to no one but the Pope who is himself accountable to no one (on earth).  Not even the Rothschild Family (international bankers, estimated to be worth trillions) comes close. Rome is unquestionably the greatest financial power, wealth accumulator, and landowner in existence.

WHY NOT FEED THE POOR?

In 70% of the world, you are considered a wealthy man if you have more than one pair of shoes. The United Nations estimates that approximately 795 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine are suffering from chronic malnutrition. So why, in light of Scripture, doesn’t the Vatican sell-off its art collection, gold reserves, and the hundreds of millions it takes in every week to produce the greatest program in history to feed the hungry? Some would argue that they do feed the poor, but in what proportion relative to their wealth?

In 2014, Pope Francis raffled off his espresso machine and various gifts he received in an act of kindness to help the poor. What a joke and what an insult to God. In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus said,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.