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Pope Francis Calls For Power To Move Away From Vatican

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posted on Nov, 29 2013 @ 11:57 AM
link   
reply to post by St Udio
 



I might shake you up .... with the suggestion that Pope Francis might very well have a site in the city of Jerusalem as the new Vatican Papal Residence.... where the Pope will rule the Holy See

Do you seriously think that's what is going on there? All they are talking about is land use rights for the location of the Upper Room (where the Last Supper was held) and the Garden of Gethsemane.


The sovereignty of the Cenacle site has long been debated. The Muslim Dajani-Daoudi family of Jerusalem, which holds a document from the Ottoman Sultan in 1529 granting them guardianship over the site and rites to the land as their family burial plot, considers the site to be Waqf property, as do Palestine and Jordan. The Franciscan Catholics argue that they were the guardians of the site before the Ottoman era; Jews consider it part of Second Temple period Jerusalem.

Today, an Orthodox Jewish school is housed on the ground floor, and the Last Supper Room upstairs is a tourist site. Israel allows mass twice a year and for rare special occasions. A Palestinian source says that the new agreement would grant Franciscans two hours of daily prayer time at the Cenacle, and administrative rights, without granting ownership. He also says that rites at the Garden of Gethsemane were listed in the draft agreement. (Source)

They just want the right to be able to hold regular Masses there, they aren't building a second Vatican. Everything that happens in the world isn't part of some far-out conspiracy.



posted on Nov, 29 2013 @ 12:10 PM
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burntheships

KellyPrettyBear
reply to post by AfterInfinity
 


It's not humility its a new phase of deception.


He sure did start it out on the right foot though did he not?
Shots across the brow "you heinous capitalists".


The pope noted that corporations and individuals were failing to pay taxes in nations around the world, depriving governments of funding needed to serve all their citizens, and banks and loan organizations had crippled emerging economies with staggering interest obligations.

“The thirst for power and possessions knows no limits,” Pope Francis wrote. “In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment ... www.rawstory.com...


Though, as was observed in another thread, the
power players only want to have less capitalists
on the scene, do away with the little capitalists
while they hoard all of the wealth onto themselves,
destroying the little guy with more taxes, to end
capitalism, and spread socialism. Its quite a
ruse I must hand them that, and some fall for
it hook line and sinker.
edit on 26-11-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)


do you distort this message intentionally?
can you read?
have you read what was said?

is it simply jesus message was not clear enough for you?

cannibalistic capitalism is inconsistent with anyone with Christ in their heart,
the lies of,
tricked down economics is a false para-dime,

it would seem you are but hurt having your political ideology,
be in total conflict with the catholic religious identity,

i suggest you stop trying to slander the pope and actually read and interoperate his words,
before doing a pavlovs response,

and using the perverted word SOCIALISM as social conditioning tool.

your world view has been challenged by the pope speaking the words of god,
so rather than contemplate your world view, you use it as an excuse to leave out relevant information,
slander a holy man and all so you can hold fast to your out dated "winner takes all"
world view.

you should really read the whole thing, rather than cherry pick out the BITS that reinforce YOUR world view.

i bet you would not be saying the same things if the pope said profit is more important than life huh?

dont be a scare monger because YOU dont like the message!!!

just read it again.

xploder



posted on Nov, 29 2013 @ 01:04 PM
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reply to post by burntheships
 



Religious scholar Reza Aslan said American conservatives are basing their criticism of recent comments made by Pope Francis on a “profoundly unhistorical view of Jesus.”

The pontiff has ruffled the feathers of U.S. conservatives with comments suggesting the church has focused too much on social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception, rather than helping the poor.

But his first Apostolic Exhortation released earlier this week, in which the pope denounced the sacred economic theories of the American right – trickle-down economics and an unfettered free market – seems to have been the last straw for Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin.

“These two paragons of the far right – both of whom regularly invoke the teachings of Jesus to bolster their own political views – have suddenly turned their backs on the man whose actual job description is to speak for Jesus,” Aslan wrote in a Washington Post column published Thursday.


www.rawstory.com...

i though i would add some "balence" to your op



But Limbaugh accused the pope of promoting Marxism in comments that had undoubtedly been written by someone else or forced upon him.

“Somebody did get to Pope Francis,” Aslan wrote. “It was Jesus.”

Aslan said these self-styled “defenders of Christianity” (neither of which is Catholic) have twisted the biblical and historical teachings of Jesus to promote their own political agenda.

“Indeed, if you listened to those on the far right you would think that all Jesus ever spoke about was guns and gays,” Aslan said.

And he noted that this view is not nearly as widely held as Americans conservatives suggest.


www.rawstory.com...


“Jesus did not preach income equality between the rich and the poor,” Aslan wrote. “He preached the complete reversal of the social order, wherein the rich and the poor would switch places.”

He cites several well-known passages from the Bible to place Jesus’ teachings into context, saying they were far more political and radical than is usually assumed.

“Jesus is not simply describing some utopian fantasy in which the meek inherit the earth, the sick are healed, the weak become strong, the hungry are fed, and the poor are made rich,” Aslan wrote. “He is advocating a chilling new reality in which the rich will be made poor, the strong will become weak, and the powerful will be displaced by the powerless.”

Indeed, he writes, Jesus warned “how hard it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God.”

Those teachings upset authorities when Jesus promoted them, Aslan says, just as they disturb many Christians today.


www.rawstory.com...

are you disturbed that the new pope actually "follows" the teachings of Christ?
or that you dont?

xploder



posted on Nov, 29 2013 @ 01:19 PM
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reply to post by burntheships
 

Well I cant say that I am surprised. This is by far the greatest sign of him being an anti pope if we have ever needed proof.....



posted on Nov, 30 2013 @ 06:58 AM
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reply to post by Krazysh0t
 


might also just be a 'strategic move of a sock puppet'

the organisation is in ruins, why? because of the abuse and corruption... how the hell are they going to survive?

They are still eating off of GOLD plates in the Vatican and that makes me feel like vomiting.

The decadence that they are accustomed to and that is justified is sickening.

Francis, might be a decent man...but he is just another sock puppet and he was chosen to move them through the abuse scandals.

They will use and abuse him and then discard him when it suits their agenda.



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 12:23 AM
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reply to post by XPLodER
 


What compassionate man (including the Pope) can use a gold handled
toilet to flush when good poor people are starving?

How is this an end to capitalism? Open your eyes,
take off your blinders and see that this is a smoke screen
like the one from the chimney.

If the Pope really meant what he said, he would never
allow any one to use that toilet again.
he would sell it and buy poor people food.

Some throne folks sit on, with gold handled
flushers? Hypocrisy.
edit on 1-12-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 12:32 AM
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XPLodER
Jesus warned “how hard it will be for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God.”


If Jesus has got to the Pope's heart, the man would tear
apart the Vatican, and take the parts and sell them
and give them to the poor.

I am waiting to see this.....




posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 12:39 AM
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reply to post by St Udio
 


Well I am not one to shy away from controversy,
good points you have made...I am watching this
with you.



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 12:44 AM
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burntheships
reply to post by XPLodER
 


What compassionate man (including the Pope) can use a gold handled
toilet to flush when good poor people are starving?

How is this an end to capitalism? Open your eyes,
take off your blinders and see that this is a smoke screen
like the one from the chimney.

If the Pope really meant what he said, he would never
allow any one to use that toilet again.
he would sell it and buy poor people food.

Some throne folks sit on, with gold handled
flushers? Hypocrisy.
edit on 1-12-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)


you do realise the pope now lives in the visitors apartments,
not in the traditional papal housing wing?

and that this release from the pope sets out a "poor church"
a humble responsive church who do the hard work in the streets for the poor?

i can tell you this pope did not install gold toilet handles,
so to try and associate that to the wrong person is disingenuous,

he still wears his old shoes from when he was living in south america.

take a look at what happened to the German minister who "over spent" money on his residence,
it is being turned into a food kitchen.

if you want to talk about hypocrisy, i would suggest you get your facts straight,

this man walks the path, the same one he preaches about to others.

i am inspired by this man.

xploder



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 12:50 AM
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XPLodER

you do realise the pope now lives in the visitors apartments,
not in the traditional papal housing wing?

and that this release from the pope sets out a "poor church"
a humble responsive church who do the hard work in the streets for the poor?

i can tell you this pope did not install gold toilet handles,
so to try and associate that to the wrong person is disingenuous,

he still wears his old shoes from when he was living in south america.


We will see what he does, let him tear out the toilets first.

Let him condemn THE VATICAN as he has capitalism.

Until then, he has power over a vast amount of wealth
that will never see the saving grace of helping the poor.

And that is only scratching the surface of the wealth
The Pope has influence over...

I do not speak to you, but the hypocrisy.



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 05:57 AM
link   

burntheships
We will see what he does, let him tear out the toilets first.

Let him condemn THE VATICAN as he has capitalism.

Until then, he has power over a vast amount of wealth
that will never see the saving grace of helping the poor.

And that is only scratching the surface of the wealth
The Pope has influence over...

I do not speak to you, but the hypocrisy.



Just thought I'd share some thoughts, on the subject of "Turning the Church's Cannon into the new and more efficient Toilet Plunger". Generally speaking, the Bible has been the bully stick for the laymen for thousands of years. Then suddenly when the Gospel was completed, in the last book, things seem to change. Instead of chastising the laymen, the faithful are being chastised by a series of descriptions that appear to void the casting out of evil spirits. So why the sudden change?

Once again for years the Bible has been the bully stick for the laymen. However, as we moved closer to the end of time, the sinful state of mankind that is embraced by certain groups of people has become the bully stick. The reason why mankind will ultimately be receptive to the Rapture, Ascension, and evolution of mankind. That is when this relationship is pronounced dead, and killed, when the Tribe of Dan is removed, surrounding the events of the Cosmic Shift.

If the development of shifting the focal point of the Bible's Bully Stick from the Bible, to abstaining from Sinful Portions of Mankind, proves one thing. It is that, mankind has been learning acceptance of tolerance to a new world and race that is denoted by the separation of a judgment plan, that has allowed sin to serve as a placeholder and therefore the gospel, before the ascension could be pronounced.

Committing suicide repeatedly, speaking evil of the son of man, the church, and just blatantly killing themselves repeatedly, routinely, daily, and this is our expectation when we see them and their kind all the time, doesn't amount to anything. This activity and their kind namely is done away with, this is the beginning of the ascension. One of the final forms of encouragement. This is soon to be realized.
edit on 1-12-2013 by sighstars because: minor edits



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 11:36 AM
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sighstars
So why the sudden change?



The change has been gradual, one of an agenda
carried out over centuries.



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 01:17 PM
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reply to post by sighstars
 






Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough was quoted as saying that Obama’s work as an organizer on the South Side of Chicago “was funded partly” by the “Catholic Church campaign for human development…” He was referring to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an annual collection authorized by the U.S. Catholic Bishops which is advertised as a charity to “break the vicious cycle of poverty” but in reality has funded left-wing political organizations such as ACORN to the tune of millions of dollars.

McDonough , a former Senior Fellow at the George Soros-funded Center for American Progress (CAP), was the moderator of a May 10, 2006, CAP event on “How Catholic Progressives View the Role of Faith in Governance.”

Conservative Catholics concerned about this problem have documented that millions of dollars of Catholic money over the last four decades has gone into Saul Alinsky-style networks which pursue their own brand of socialist direct action. CCHD itself acknowledges funding ACORN projects with grants totaling more than $7.3 million during the last 10 years.


www.canadafreepress.com...



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 01:37 PM
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Jesuit trained Greg Galluzzo, trainer of Barack Obama


At 69, Greg Galluzzo is weeks from retiring — or at least not getting paid — from the Gamaliel Foundation, the training and consulting organization he has directed since 1986. Galluzzo, also the creator of the United Neighborhood Organization, managed to stay behind the scenes during his 41-year community-organizing career, which he says is the sign of a good organizer.



“We’re not supposed to be in the spotlight,” he said. “We’re suppposed to create the scenario so the indigenous people of the community are our leaders.”


www.suntimes.com...

Why do they remain behind the scenes?

They tell you:




Galluzzo stayed in Seattle for four years, then moved to Chicago. Not long after, he trained another raw college grad looking for a purpose, named Barack Obama.

Among Galluzzo's lessons: Community organizing isn't for do-gooders or idealists. It's about power. How you can shift power away from moneyed, entrenched groups.



seattletimes.com...



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 02:32 PM
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The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), People Improving Communities through Organizing (PICO), Gamaliel Foundation, and Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART) are all major organizing networks. All receive money from CCHD and many of those groups were founded or are run by Catholic priests.

Founded by Saul Alinsky himself, IAF is the mother of all community organizing networks with dozens of affiliates nationwide and abroad. Alinsky referred to IAF's training institute as a "school for professional radicals." Its model for organizing church congregations into powerful advocacy groups is widely imitated. Ex-seminarian Edward T. Chambers has run it since Alinsky's death in 1972.

Another school for professional radicals, the Midwest Academy, has taken CCHD funding. IAF trained its founder, Heather Booth, who also founded several activist training academies, including Midwest Academy, Citizen Action, and USAction. Her husband is Paul Booth, a senior official in the public sector union AFSCME who co-founded the radical revolutionary group Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).

PICO was founded in 1972 by Father John Baumann, a Jesuit priest trained in Alinsky's techniques. PICO's stated mission is to "increase access to health care, improve public schools, make neighborhoods safer, build affordable housing, redevelop communities, and revitalize democracy."

Founded in Chicago in 1968, the Gamaliel Foundation aspires "to be a powerful network of grassroots, interfaith, interracial, multi-issue organizations working together to create a more just and more democratic society." Its executive director is Gregory Galluzzo, a former Jesuit priest. Gamaliel claims 60 affiliates in 21 states, as well as affiliates in the United Kingdom and South Africa.


spectator.org...



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 03:41 PM
link   

We will see what he does, let him tear out the toilets first.

Let him condemn THE VATICAN as he has capitalism.

Until then, he has power over a vast amount of wealth
that will never see the saving grace of helping the poor.

And that is only scratching the surface of the wealth
The Pope has influence over...

I do not speak to you, but the hypocrisy.



Pope ramps up charity office to be near poor, sick

www.washingtonpost.com... y.html?tid=auto_complete


Krajewski is the Vatican Almoner, a centuries-old position that Francis has redefined to make it a hands-on extension of his own personal charity. When he was archbishop in Buenos Aires, then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio used to go out at night, incognito, to break bread with the homeless on the streets of the Argentine capital to let them know that someone cared for them.

He can’t do that so easily now that he’s pope, so he has tapped Krajewski to be his envoy, doling out small morsels of charity every day: sending a 200 euro ($260) check to a woman whose wallet was stolen, visiting a family whose child is dying.

“My job is to be an extension of the pope’s arm toward the poor, the needy, those who suffer,” Krajewski said. “He cannot go out of the Vatican, so he has chosen a person who goes out to hug the people who suffer” in the pope’s place.

Larger and longer-term charity works are handled by the Vatican’s international charity federation. The almoner, Krajewski explained, is more a “first aid” compassion station: quick, small doses of help that don’t require bureaucratic hurdles, but are nevertheless heartfelt and something of a sacrifice.


www.washingtonpost.com... y.html?tid=auto_complete

what have you given up that "has to cost me something so that it can change me"

you cry out that charity is not at the heart of this pope,
yet have you given "till it hurts"?

not just what you can afford to do without, but something that makes it hard to be comfortable?

because until you have you have no right to criticize, those that have.

change is happening now, it does take time and faith.

have you ever given "all of you" for something, for someone?

you attack an institution who now sees the light, who now follows the narrow path,

and with the help from the previous pope and the new pope will be a light like no other.

1% of the population holding 40% of the wealth promotes suffering in the name of profit.

until you have suffered inequity, you will not realise WHY the need to change is so great

xploder



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 03:45 PM
link   

burntheships
Conservative Catholics concerned about this problem have documented that millions of dollars of Catholic money over the last four decades has gone into Saul Alinsky-style networks which pursue their own brand of socialist direct action. CCHD itself acknowledges funding ACORN projects with grants totaling more than $7.3 million during the last 10 years.

www.canadafreepress.com...
.........................
PICO was founded in 1972 by Father John Baumann, a Jesuit priest trained in Alinsky's techniques. PICO's stated mission is to "increase access to health care, improve public schools, make neighborhoods safer, build affordable housing, redevelop communities, and revitalize democracy."

spectator.org...


You can't stop a plucked turkey from ending up on the dinner table. You can't stop poverty if people choose to be poor, and you can't stop crime, if the people cannot go without it. Sure racism produced the lowest ethnic crime rate in history in the united states, and worldwide, when it was popular for non-white individuals. Look anywhere and you will immediately confirm this reality. ... ... With this being said, "social policing", in order to stop people from preferring to commit crime or remain in poverty. Has only proved one thing, it is a less effective form of racism, that in reality only punishes the people who do serve their country, and abstain from unprofitable activities. In reality, what this equates to is a series of sublime motivations for the non-white community in the usa and worldwide, to seek out more fervently the means to remain in poverty and to commit crime, (Without being caught! Let the Slaves go Free, Pun intended!)

This is what ultimately ended up being done, and this conclusion the book of revelations points to by its context change versus the rest of the bible. Only confirms the true benefit of removing a good portion of the population from experiencing ascension. You can view the law of Newlife, and the excessive force by murder, descriptive of the changes that are necessary but not viewed as isolated events necessarily. As evidence, that certain changes the prophets have intended to be done in their day, infact is being done today, with a few minor changes based on the interactions and circumstances of mankind now, and the law was adapted.

You ultimately want to put as many generations between war and the ascension of mankind in the new earth as possible. We are helping mankind achieve this task, not just in the future, but here and now, there the decisions have the most impact for the future, and this will be done today. However, what is clean to do at the moment, but arguably may cause further contentions that will be resolved with pacifications in the near future. Are details about the judgment, only the individual responsible for designing the law could and would know, and only could and would disclose, in small degrees, which is indicative of the completion of the law, and the climax of all the activities leading to the ascension of mankind in this day.
edit on 1-12-2013 by sighstars because: minor edits



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 03:58 PM
link   

XPLodER
you cry out that charity is not at the heart of this pope,
yet have you given "till it hurts"?

not just what you can afford to do without, but something that makes it hard to be comfortable?

because until you have you have no right to criticize, those that have.

change is happening now, it does take time and faith.

have you ever given "all of you" for something, for someone?



I would first disagree that I have no right to be of
critical thought and analyze whether the the pope's
words meet up with truth.

I have every right to apply critical thought to this
latest dissertation of his.

And; I find it lacking in sincerity. If indeed the pope
wishes to end capitalism, he would first put an end
to the subversion of tax dollars from The U.S. to
The Vatican. Then, as Jesus did, he would terrorize
the money changers.

I will be waiting to see this. If The Vatican keeps
all of it's wealth unto itself, how is this not hypocrisy?

Second, while it is duly non of anyones business
on ATS as to my charity, as this sites motto is to
deny ignorance; if indeed this was a criteria to
be in a place to criticize, that which it is not;
then indeed I would qualify. Nuff said.



you attack an institution who now sees the light, who now follows the narrow path,

and with the help from the previous pope and the new pope will be a light like no other.


If you have not taken the time to investigate the dark corruption
that abounds within the power structure of The Vatican which
centers on the vast wealth they hoard, then you do no know what you speak of.

I suspect we have fundamental differences in the way we view
the catholic church, the pope etc. I for one am not catholic,
now nor have ever been. I reject organized religions as most
fail the test of offering much of anything that is true.

I hold to my faith in God, through His Son Jesus Christ
having initiated within me His redeeming grace.

I therefore reject the powers the pope declares to the
world that he has, I reject the idea that I need any man
to be between myself and God. I do not have an intervenor
in the pope, or any other cardinal, or bishop or priest or
pastor.


XPLodER

until you have suffered inequity, you will not realise WHY the need to change is so great



Again, I realize there is a great need for change; however
I am not a sheep that is going to fall for this seemingly blatant
ruse, I don't think there is a person on earth that has not suffered
under some injustice, or inequality, certainly I have.

This is all of course, said in the spirit of love.

Now perhaps you would care to do a little fact finding,
and follow the money trail.




On Egypt and Syria, Ms. Hudes stated, “That situation is tragic, because it is so unnecessary…There has been a power grab by unscrupulous people that are using those conflicts to distract everybody. ”



On Israel, and the Jewish and Catholic religions, Ms. Hudes had this to say: “The people in Israel are not in agreement that their government consists of thieves that are ripping off the world. They don’t know about what’s going on…I was in touch with the representative of the Israeli government on the board of the World Bank. And we were working together to try to figure out how to bring all of the people in the Middle East together so that it’s a happy place so it’s not a place ridden with conflicts…you know the ‘freedom fighters’ in Syria are mercenaries. Everybody knows that…I told the [Jewish people] to get ready when the world learns about who these crooks are and what they’ve been doing because some of them happen to be Jewish. Does this mean that the Jewish religion is wrong? Absolutely not. And let’s switch a little bit to the Catholic religion. The Jesuits own Bank of America. They’ve been in on these nefarious practices. And if people start looking at the flow of funds and they find out that the money from their taxes, Internal Revenue, is ending up in the Vatican Bank account, how do you think they’re going to find what’s going on there?...People have got to be discerning. THEY HAVE TO SEE WHAT’S WHAT (emphasis mine)... and I’m not saying that if you’re religious, you’re a dupe, no, no, that’s not what I’m saying, because these [bankers] are very good at putting words in your mouth…[People of all religions] have many, many common enemies. If we would only learn to work together, we can get some progress. Why is that our world looks so ridiculous. Are we that inept?...We have to admit that we were manipulated. We have to admit that we were duped.”


www.zerohedge.com...

Former World Bank Attorney, Karen Hudes,
where she discloses many interesting things by following the money.
Notably that the IRS is being used to funnel money to the Vatican
She confirms Vatican's Jesuits are in bed with 'governments'
who promote fake terrorism news to manipulate you.
She has an extensive resume and blog available at kahudes.net


edit on 1-12-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 10:55 PM
link   

burntheships

If the Pope really meant what he said, he would never
allow any one to use that toilet again.
he would sell it and buy poor people food.

Some throne folks sit on, with gold handled
flushers? Hypocrisy.
edit on 1-12-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)


As a Catholic, I'm surprised to hear about this toilet. Can you please point out where you got this information from?

It would help if you included a better reference than "....John Paul the First, who once revealed in a public audience in 1978..."

I found numerous sources that say something akin to that. They seem to all be quoting each other or the same source and none have the date, location, encyclical or other specific details about this speech.

Thanks!

Eric



posted on Dec, 1 2013 @ 11:16 PM
link   
reply to post by EricD
 


As best as I can track it down; here you go.






this morning, I flushed my toilet with a solid gold lever edged with diamonds and at this very moment, bishops and cardinals are using a bathroom on the second floor of the papal palace which trappings, I am told, would draw more than fifty million dollars at auction

www.france24.com...


The rest of his quote supposedly follows with this, which I can find
many sources for yet not a 'news agency' such as France24.

John Paul 1

" Believe me, one day, we who live in opulence, while so many are dying because they have nothing, will have to answer to Jesus as to why we have not carried out His instruction, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ We, the clergy of the Church together with our congregations, who substitute gold and pomp and ceremony in place of Christ’s instruction, who judge our masquerade of singing His praises to be more precious than human life, will have the most to explain.”
"

In case anyone is interested: How the Vatican built a secret property empire using Mussolini's millions

Papacy used offshore tax havens to create £500m international portfolio,
featuring real estate in UK, France and Switzerland



Few passing London tourists would ever guess that the premises of Bulgari, the upmarket jewellers in New Bond Street, had anything to do with the pope. Nor indeed the nearby headquarters of the wealthy investment bank Altium Capital, on the corner of St James's Square and Pall Mall.

But these office blocks in one of London's most expensive districts are part of a surprising secret commercial property empire owned by the Vatican.

Behind a disguised offshore company structure, the church's international portfolio has been built up over the years, using cash originally handed over by Mussolini in return for papal recognition of the Italian fascist regime in 1929.

Since then the international value of Mussolini's nest-egg has mounted until it now exceeds £500m. In 2006, at the height of the recent property bubble, the Vatican spent £15m of those funds to buy 30 St James's Square. Other UK properties are at 168 New Bond Street and in the city of Coventry. It also owns blocks of flats in Paris and Switzerland.

The surprising aspect for some will be the lengths to which the Vatican has gone to preserve secrecy about the Mussolini millions. The St James's Square office block was bought by a company called British Grolux Investments Ltd, which also holds the other UK properties. Published registers at Companies House do not disclose the company's true ownership, nor make any mention of the Vatican.

Instead, they list two nominee shareholders, both prominent Catholic bankers: John Varley, recently chief executive of Barclays Bank
www.theguardian.com...
edit on 1-12-2013 by burntheships because: (no reason given)







 
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