Merchants in the Temple

In the 1500’s, Henry the VIII wanted to expropriate England’s monasteries, and figured he could legitimize it if he could prove the Abbots were corrupt. He sent his men out to question whether they followed Saint Benedict’s rules, or whether they were having too good a time. Was the food simple and plain? Did they live in dormitories and cells? Was a mattress, blanket, and pillow their only bedding? What they found was the opposite; the monasteries were luxurious, the food was lavish and plentiful, the monks were lazy and hired people to do the work around the property. As for the vow of chastity and celibacy, the monks often had wives and kids that they were supporting on the church’s dime. According to this book, the church in Rome is far worse.

    Author Giangluigi Nuzzi jumps in with both feet, and reprints a letter from an auditor so we can see some evidence. It details the lack of transparency in the Vatican’s finances; nobody’s held accountable; Cardinals are not questioned on how they spend; the Italian authorities torn a blind eye. Remember Jim Bakker of PTL, and how he was accused of financial monkey business with his church? Well his accusations of taking million dollar vacations are nothing compared to what goes on in Rome. You have too many institutions, too many people involved.

    A big part of the book has to do with Pope Francis. He disciplined a German Archbishop for spending church money on a huge home, and he’s spoken out publicly about the Vatican’s finances. As for the Pope’s use of the money, the newspapers have had a field day with his “austerity,” such as downgrading his personal quarters, eating lunch in the staff cafeteria. The last Popes had entourages, huge residences, personal cooks, and servants lined up 24 hours a day. All Pope Francis has is an apartment above the shop. However, the author isn’t 100% a supporter of Pope Francis, because first off, his “apartment” has the quality of a 5-star hotel, not a monk’s cell. Secondly, he places retired churchmen in lavish accommodations. As for the blame, the author places a lot of it on the Italian government. Unlike in the USA, Italian religious institutions have a lot of leeway as to how they keep the books. They can get away with improper spending, owning for-profit business and not paying taxes, and nobody questions them. In the USA, all non-profits have to be registered as such, and they have to report all financial activity to the IRS. Oversight keeps them honest.

Perhaps the financial crisis in the church has to do with the clergy getting too much respect, the way a rock star is over-adored by his fans? Maybe it’s simply an issue of being corrupted by too much power? Pope John, when faced with a complaint that a church usher made more than the Bishop, responded with this; “the usher has children to support, and you had better not!” I think it’s time for the church to expect that of the clergy. Religion shouldn’t be a business.