Pope Francis, HEAL THYSELF -- Catholic Church already operates world's largest school system

MOSELEY COMMENTS ^ | December 10, 2013 | Jonathon Moseley

[Moseley]

Catholicism's new Pope Francis has called for efforts by someone else to help the world's poor and to reduce income inequality. The Pope is a teacher of Christianity for world Catholicism but also a chief executive managing the vast global enterprise of the Catholic Church.

Education and training for vocational (practical) skills -- such as learning to be a carpenter -- would be one of the greatest solutions to worldwide poverty. As it happens, the largest school system in the world outside of government is operated by the Catholic Church. (To be fair, Catholicism is not one single legal organization.)

Pope Francis has direct power or at least tremendous influence over the world's Catholic schools and colleges. Once upon a time, even non-Catholic parents worked hard to place their children in a Catholic parochial school to give their children the best chance in life.

But for the last 50-60 years, Catholic schools have been neglected by pretty much everyone, including Vatican leaders. Schools once launched to benefit society are forgotten. The Vatican could lead a project to rejuvenate those schools, including by rejecting experimental fads.

Former President Bill Clinton raised a billion dollars for his Clinton Foundation for reasons unknown. Couldn't Pope Francis succeed to the same level as philandering Bill Clinton? Could Francis campaign for a billion dollars in donations to give job skills and an education to the poor and middle class in poor countries?

[RWGinger]

The Pope would have more credibility if instead of putting down capitalism and bashing people who he thinks are giving enough
if he shut up on that and start selling the ultra billions the Vatican has and using that money to help all these poor.
come on Frankie walk your talk

[gemoftheocean]

I think you need to remember Jesus saying “The poor will always be with us.” So who do you want the pope to sell the Pieta to? Bill and Melinda Gates? The church already DOES do more for schools and education than anyone outside of government. The church was the one who STARTED schools for the poor. And before people start whining about the cost of education going up, remember that the 50 years ago mentioned was when there were a lot of nuns who essentially worked for poverty wages. Ditto priests and brothers. They certainly didn’t get rich doing it. Now most of the teachers in those schools are lay people, who oddly enough have families to support and the cost of education is higher. And I agree with poster number 1. Frankie, for all his Jesuit learning, obviously never had Econ 101 in his curriculum. Or if he did, he flunked. In 3rd world countries, and 2nd world, the church DOES do a lot to teach skills like carpentry, etc. so I’m not so sure what he’s yammering about. [And yes, I am a practising Catholic. I’m a bit underwhelmed by the present pope.]

[Romulus]

The Pope is a teacher of Christianity for world Catholicism but also a chief executive managing the vast global enterprise of the Catholic Church.

No he isn't.

Pope Francis has direct power or at least tremendous influence over the world's Catholic schools and colleges.

No he doesn't.

[Campion]

The Vatican doesn’t have “ultra billions”. That’s a myth.

[Moseley]

I agree that the Catholic Church started schools for the poor, although mainly for Catholic families within the church.

But do you dispute that the Catholic Church has utterly neglected the worldwide system of parochial (”Latin”) schools over the last 50 years — at least in comparison to (a) the Catholic Church’s loud mouth criticizing everyone else, and (b) other attention of the Church?

Is it not the case that the Catholic Church has allowed Catholic churches to fall far, far, far behind what they once were?

[RWGinger]

Ok maybe it is only 10-15 billion
but that is NOT a muth
The Vatican owns approx. 20% of all real estate in Italy

I dound this Time article from 1965
‘Bankers’ best guesses about the Vatican’s wealth put it at $10 billion to $15 billion. Of this wealth, Italian stockholdings alone run to $1.6 billion, 15% of the value of listed shares on the Italian market. The Vatican has big investments in banking, insurance, chemicals, steel, construction, real estate. Dividends help pay for Vatican expenses and charities such as assisting 1,500,000 children and providing some measure of food and clothing to 7,000,000 needy Italians. Unlike ordinary stockholders, the Vatican pays no taxes on this income,

Read more: Roman Catholics: The Vatican’s Wealth - TIME http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,833509,00.html#ixzz2n6cnW5cA

if you have a credible link that disproves the Vatican having bilions in holdings please provide

[duckln]

To be fair I think he said unfettered capitalism.

IMO the likes of Bloomberg, tossing around zillians, or Turner owning zillion of acres. Throw in GaGa, Madonna, Elton, Hollywood , rich and powerful MSM, all corrupting our culture with their money power.

Promoting themselves instead of mankind. The Pope has a point but its hard to define or do much about when you have liberal Democrats running the show.

[itsahoot]

He could start by asking Harvard what they need with 30 Billion dollars in their endowment fund, especially since they seem hell bent on destroying any concept of a Christian God.

[Petrosius]

Dividends help pay for Vatican expenses and charities such as assisting 1,500,000 children and providing some measure of food and clothing to 7,000,000 needy Italians.

So you would have the Church sell its property in order to give it all to the poor in one year and then have nothing to help them in the years to come? Not so smart.