The Pope does not live in luxury.
JS are you insane? - LOL
The Pope doesn't live in luxury?
Relative to what?
I would imagine most in the world would consider his life a life of luxury.
You think that guy cooks many of his own meals?
You think most people have 24 hour a day servants at their residence?
You think most people have chapels inside their house?
Do most people have a residential study that overlooks Saint Peter's Square?
You think most people have roof top gardens?
You think most people have 24 hour access to a private indoor swimming pool at their residence?
You think most people have access to large jet airplanes to shuffle them all over the world?
You think most people have access to a 24/7 chauffeur?
Do you think he stays at Motel 6 when he travels?
Do you think he eats "left-overs"?
Do you think he writes out his checks for his personal bills and licks the envelope?
Do you think he goes grocery shopping and buys his own toilet paper?
Stands in long lines at Walmart?
Waits for tables at restaurants when there's a crowd?
Picks up his own newspaper off the curb?
Do you think he washes his own dishes?
You think most peope have access to multiple residences called the "Lateran Palace" & "Castel Gandolfo"?
Do most people have a medical doctor living at their residence for 24/7 needs?
Access to "summer residences"?
By any reasonable examination one must conclude the Pope lives a very privileged life.
BTW, I am not demonizing the man at all.
I am just responding to what I see as your fantasy land.
I don't have a problem with his life and his privilege.
It would be difficult in practical terms for him to live otherwise.
I think he does the world alot of good.
I am a fan.
That is a common myth. He lives in a small apartment and owns almost nothing, or in the case of some Popes, literally nothing. That is an absolute falsehood.
JS you can live in luxury and not be the owner.
If I live at the Bellagio, but someone else pays my bills, I still would be living in luxury.
The Pope does not hammer anything, but points out the problems of society and
falling short of man living for love of God.
I dont really have a problem with that.
Crass consumerism is not living for the love of God, would you not agree?
Well how do you define that?
It depends.
If I make ads for an ad agency that sells Starbucks Coffee and Starbucks Coffee Corp ends
up employing thousands of people at the retail and corporate level, providing jobs, security,
and income that helps send children to school, helps raise a family, creates wealth to fund
charities, and the company does charity work, hires handicapped people, tries to be
friendly to the environment, ect -- well I see that as a "good thing" - i see it as a "win win".
Some are called to be Mother Teresa down in the trenches others are called to create
inventions like MRI machines, others are called to create a business that helps people in some
way, which in turn can help charity.
The Church is not provided anything from capitalism.
Uh?
What system produced the telephone he uses daily?
What system produced the computer & software he uses?
What system produced the airplanes he flies on?
Ect..ect....
I doubt any of those things were innovated in North Korea!
Plus wealth produced in capitalist societies funds alot of Catholic Churches
Catholic Hospitals, Catholic Missionaries, Catholic Schools, Catholic Nursing Homes,
Catholic Charities. Again I doubt North Korea(example) can fund alot of
Catholic institutions that carry out the Church's work.
I don't have "blind allegiance" to men.
Again JS I have great respect for the Pope
although probably less than I have for Mother Teresa
but they have very different roles
both important
but if he thinks capitalism sucks
then i think he is dead wrong
in other words, because he says it, doesn't mean I believe it is so.