Pope to World: Do As I Say, Not As I Do (dammit!)
Worship God not technology, pope says
And never mind the bullet-proof vehicle he's carted around in, the Vatican website, the Vatican digital library, the . . . oh, never mind.
But this, right here, is the real howler of the article: "In an age of unbridled consumerism it was shameful many remained deaf to the "heart-rending cry" of those dying of hunger, thirst, disease, poverty, war and terrorism, he said . . . People continue to die of hunger and thirst, disease and poverty, in this age of plenty and of unbridled consumerism," he said from the central balcony of Christendom's largest church."
Okay, Mr. Pope, how about this -- why don't you and your cronies sell off all the gold figures, the priceless statues, the brazers and incense burners, the dishes and furniture and other antiquities, and use the money to feed the hungry and alleviate the misery of those you say you're so concerned about?
What? Oh, I see. You mean, the nice little handcrafted throne with the comfy velvet cushion you sit your tushy on when you address your legion of followers is much too precious to part with? The robes and headgear and jewel-encrusted accessories?
Uh-huh, sure. I hear ya. Gotta look good on Sunday morning.
Well then, there's the matter of the prime real estate the Vatican owns throughout the world -- much of it worth billions, if not trillions of dollars. How about the Catholic church starts selling all of that off to feed the hungry and clothe the poor?
Oh. No can do. Those cathedrals are far more important than the people who come to worship in them. Gotcha.
Well then, what about the priceless manuscripts that the church can simply digitize and so sell off the originals to collectors who would gladly pay hefty amounts of cash to add such items to their art collections? That would sure go a long way toward alleviating poverty and . . . oh, uhm, okay. Not gonna happen. Your original manuscripts are more important than, well, people.
So, what was it you were saying again? I have a hard time hearing you above the heart-rending cries of the poor and the hungry . . .