Thread: The City of Chicago Has More Wealth Than Vatican City

For RobinJazz mainly but anyone else too.

I'm not attempting to convert you to Catholicism or even persuade you to fall in love with the Catholic Church.

But there are popular myths that exist are constantly repeated. So, just for the sake of possibly giving you a different perspective or at least something to consider I'm going to make a few points.

1. Many U.S. cities operate economies larger than most nation-states on earth. Chicago alone has an economy much larger than Vatican City. The small Vatican City with could fit inside Central Park in New York operates an economy roughly the size of a medium sized college in the United States. Yes, that means large universities in the United States operate economies larger than the Vatican City.

2. The Catholic Church is global and multicultural if you will. The price of unity within a global Church means the Holy See (basically the Church government in Vatican City) has to consider the the concerns and values not just in more culturally liberal Western Europe and the United States but those feelings and things important in more conservative Asia and Africa.

3. The Catholic Church acquires a lot of money from lay Catholics around the world that give financial support to the Church. Global Catholicism receives a lot of money from the American Catholic Church. And the German Catholic Church provides a lot of financial support to the Latin American Church. So, where exactly does all this money go? You have clergy with Ph.D.'s working in Vatican City that earn around U.S.$16,000 annually. So, it can't be going to them. The nice expansive lofts or condos that would fetch hundreds of thousands in New York City that Vatican Cardinals live in? Yes, partly. But property is something akin to paintings. The monetary price values are not intrinsic. But what's more, anyone with a Ph.D.'s is not simply "wicked" for residing in nice accommodations.

Most the global monetary wealth in Catholicism is not going into shuffling the Pope or parish Priests around the world to jet-set parties with the playboys, celebrities, oil tycoons, and hot female models. Most of it is directed towards - at least after practical "infrastructural" matters within the Church are taken care of - to multitudes of charitable works in impoverished areas from rural West Virginia to the Middle East.

4. The Holy See sets the value of St. Peters at U.S.$1.00 and does not borrow against any of the properties in Vatican City. So, there is no cash flow coming in from the ancient and beautiful properties within Vatican City walls. They are regarded as priceless by the Holy See and regarded as part of the patrimony of the Catholic Church - and I would add humanity too (as it is part of human history and the history of human occupation in art and architecture.

So, they are old and impressive buildings "fit for a king," but so what? The Church has existed for 2,000 years. It wouldn't be worth a damn if it didn't acquire somethings, and promote the best within human culture, in all that time. The United States is over 200 years old and you don't see the President living in shabby conditions.




Here's an example off where the monetary wealth in high-income nations like the U.S. and U.K. flow to in the Catholic Church: Sovereign Order of Malta - Official site

Sovereign Order of Malta - Official site

The Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem, Palestine, is a joint project across the Order of Malta, under the operational responsibilities of the French Association of the Order. The hospital provides the population of Bethlehem and its surrounding area with an indispensable service, offering the only possible place for women of the region to give birth under good medical conditions. Since 1990 more than 50,000 babies have been born in the hospital. Its primary objective is to offer high-quality maternity care to all women, regardless of race, religion, culture or social condition.

American and European specialists have confirmed that the hospital operates according to an excellent western European standard. Because of the continuing unstable political and the very tight economic situation, the need for the hospital services has increased.

Palestine has no national health care system and therefore the hospital’s operating costs are sustained by the Order of Malta. Patients are asked to pay what they can afford. The charge for total antenatal care, accommodation, delivery including all medications is $60. For those unable to pay, charges are reduced or waived.

The heavy financial burden is borne by the French Association, with help from the National Associations of Germany, USA, Ireland and Switzerland and by the European Union. Recently the “Holy Family Hospital Foundation” – an organisation created by American members of the Order – has raised funds that have provided an important contribution to ensure the hospital’s continuing operation.

Vatican city is usually recognised as a nation state, but there are those who argue against it. Not only does its size potentially disqualify it, it has no industry, most of its population are foreigners and as they are also celibate it has no birth rate.

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

Vatican city is usually recognised as a nation state, but there are those who argue against it. Not only does its size potentially disqualify it, it has no industry, most of its population are foreigners and as they are also celibate it has no birth rate.

Hmm... I didn't know that some people opposed it's designation as a nation-state. But you are correct about everything, bearing in mind the Vatican employees lay people within Vatican territory. They are unionized but they don't get paid much. They get other benefits though I guess. Supposedly the grocery store in Vatican City is one of or the most cheapest in Rome. The pharmacy in Vatican City is also supposedly, probably the best, and most expansive with world drugs, in the world. But probably the best benefit working in the Vatican for lay people is that's almost impossible to get fired. If I remember correctly, the pension plan is rather remarkable too, I think when you retire you'll leave with something like a half years pay or double your years salary, something like that. In that respect their union is strong, but like I said, they don't get paid much.