Posted on 10/17/2014 1:11:56 PM PDT by NYer
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Pope Francis has for the first time allowed the Sistine Chapel to be rented out for a private corporate event, with the proceeds to go to charities working with the poor and homeless.
The concert, to be performed amid the splendour of Michelangelo’s frescoes on Saturday, will be attended by a select group of about 40 high-paying tourists who have signed up to an exclusive tour of Italy organised by Porsche.
But as the unprecedented deal was announced, the Vatican announced that it would limit the number of visitors allowed inside the chapel to the current total of six million, amid fears that the frescoes are being damaged by the breath and sweat of so many tourists.
The Vatican would not divulge how much it will earn from the event, but the five-day tour of Rome arranged by the Porsche Travel Club costs up to 5,000 euros per head, meaning an overall price of 200,000 euros.
Participants are promised “a magnificent concert in the Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo”.
The concert will be performed by a choir from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, which traces its origins back to the 16th century.
They will then sit down to a “gala dinner” in the midst of the Vatican Museums, “surrounded by masterpieces by world-famous artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael”.
“It’s a one-off event and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” a spokeswoman for the Porsche Travel Club told The Telegraph. “It will be the highlight of the trip.”
The Pope is keen to put the Vatican’s incomparable cultural heritage treasures to good use for the benefit of the needy.
Shortly after he was elected in March last year he called for a “poor Church for the poor”.
Monsignor Paolo Nicolini, the administrative director of the Vatican Museums, said firms like Porsche would be asked to make a donation for the use of the Sistine Chapel, with the money then passed onto Catholic charities of the Pope’s choice.
“It is an initiative which will support the Pope’s charity projects. It is aimed at big companies which, through the payment of a fee, can contribute to charity activities,” he said.
Perhaps it is time to put ‘revisit Sistine Chapel’ on my bucket list. Primary reason, is to see it now, after the cleaning, versus the condition it was in in 1968
Better hurry, before there’s food stains on the walls.
“How about if he rented it out to Planned Parenthood?”
Honestly, I was wondering how long it was going to take you to make that sort of false argument.
“Where do you draw the line?”
This is about one event. I see no reason to get pulled into silly hypotheticals when the person I’m debating can’t seem to debate the actual issue at hand.
“I thought Papa Humbe Jorge was all anti-business; anti-capitalist. Turns out, he’ll do anything for a buck.”
And that is a perfect example of what seems to be your inability to make a logical argument. Allowing one event is not the same thing as doing “anything for a buck.”
“Perhaps it is time to put ‘revisit Sistine Chapel’ on my bucket list. Primary reason, is to see it now, after the cleaning, versus the condition it was in in 1968.”
I think it’s worth the trip. I never saw it BEFORE the restoration. People who have seen it BEFORE and AFTER have said the colors are much more vibrant!
Allowing one event is not the same thing as doing “anything for a buck.”
Want to bet?
As of December 31, 2014, the shops around Vatican City will no longer be selling the familiar parchment blessings from Pope Francis. In a letter dated April 12, 2014, Msgr. Konrad Krajewski, the Pope’s Almoner—or distributor of alms—announced the termination of a running agreement between the Vatican and local shops and bookstores to sell the parchment blessings.
Before the cleaning it was rather dull and one could tell that there was centuries of dirt and smoke dulling the frescos. I saw some ‘then and now’ photographs of portions of it after the cleaning and the beauty under the ages of dirt was clearly apparent.
My other remembrance from that trip was seeing the Pieta behind the rope that protected it, only 4-5 feet away. A decade or so later the madman attacked it with his hammer, damaged it and it is now in a vandal proof case.
The most amazing memory was from visiting the roof of St. Peter’s and putting my hand on Jesus’s little toe, and finding that my hand barely covered the top of it, the statues are soooooo big.
“The Roe vs. Wade decision was just one event.”
And it’s exactly that sort of unrelated and bizarre comment I assumed you would make next. I don’t believe you can make a substantive argument on the issue at hand.
“Want to bet?”
I should - because you destroyed your own claim. You posted: “As of December 31, 2014, the shops around Vatican City will no longer be selling the familiar parchment blessings from Pope Francis.”
So, you’re claiming that Pope Francis STOPPING people from selling parchments is proof of Pope Francis being willing to do anything for a buck?
Also, from the same source you apparently quoted:
“There is another reason for this change in policy as well. The Vatican intends to see a greater share of the revenue from the parchments going directly to the poor. At present, parchment blessings usually run between 10 and 50 euros each. Of this, only 3 euros per scroll go to the Office of Papal Charities—the historic institution entrusted with exercising charity to the poor in the name of the Pope—for the signature and stamp. Pope Francis has decided to stop this, concluding a process that began four years ago during Benedict XVI’s pontificate. From now on, all the proceeds from the blessings will be directed to the poor.”
This tells us two things: 1) Francis wants the poor to get more of the revenue (a good thing) and, 2) this process started under Benedict, and thus, can not be laid at Francis’ feet alone anyway.
As I have said before, I don’t know if you actually know how to make an argument. It sure doesn’t seem to be the case. You shoot down your own side at every turn.
Just like Obama. Rob Peter to pay Paul.
Approximately what year was that? AFAIR, the roof has been closed for many years. I recall my childhood visit to Rome and St. Peter's, in 1954. Back then, there was a religious goods store on top of the colonnade (the "roof") surrounding St. Peter's.
“Just like Obama. Rob Peter to pay Paul.”
No one is being robbed. Everyone involved agrees that only the pope has authority to grant apostolic blessings and only he can authorize the printing of the parchments on which they are printed. Peter has simply decided to better spend his resources on the poor rather than put so much of it in the pockets of some businessmen. The businessmen were doing nothing wrong, but this way is better.
Isn’t Porsche run by businessmen?
“Isn’t Porsche run by businessmen?”
Irrelevant. Porsche is giving the Church money, rather than taking money AWAY from the Church. Thus, there is no robbing Peter to pay Paul situation.
It was in mid-January, 1968. I don’t recall any shops there, but then I doubt that I would have paid any attention to them.
It was in mid-January, 1968. I don’t recall any shops there, but then I doubt that I would have paid any attention to them.
Porsche is not "giving" the Church money. If that were the case, use of the Sistine Chapel would not be included in the transaction.
Porsche is paying for services rendered -- namely, exclusive use of the Sistine Chapel for a corporate event.
The Pope is pimping God's House to turn a buck -- a sacrilege. Catholic moral teaching: "The end does not justify the means". Donating profits to the poor is no justification for the sacrilege being committed in renting out the Sistine Chapel for a corporate event.
“Porsche is not “giving” the Church money. If that were the case, use of the Sistine Chapel would not be included in the transaction.”
If there’s a transaction, then someone is giving something.
“Porsche is paying for services rendered — namely, exclusive use of the Sistine Chapel for a corporate event.”
Fine. And?
“The Pope is pimping God’s House to turn a buck — a sacrilege.”
No. It’s a chapel. It can be rented out to visitors.
“Catholic moral teaching: “The end does not justify the means”.”
There’s nothing immoral here about the end or the means. Chapels can be rented out.
“Donating profits to the poor is no justification for the sacrilege being committed in renting out the Sistine Chapel for a corporate event.”
There is no sacrilege here. Nothing sacrilegious is happening in the chapel.
No, especially if it involves Porsche.
Now if it was....BMW!
“No, especially if it involves Porsche. Now if it was....BMW!”
Or Fiat. /s
Except a corporate event complete with food service. Nothing sacrilegious about that./S
Now Fiat made some neat little cars, they just weren’t very big, or powerful, or dependable, or durable, or.....
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