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Related: About this forumPope's sharp words make a wealthy donor hesitate
By: Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | CNBC Chief International Correspondent
Pope Francis' critical comments about the wealthy and capitalism have at least one wealthy capitalist benefactor hesitant about giving financial support to one of the church's major fundraising projects.
At issue is an effort to raise $180 million for the restoration of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York being spearheaded by billionaire Ken Langone, the investor known for founding Home Depot, among other things.
Langone told CNBC that one potential seven-figure donor is concerned about statements from the pope criticizing market economies as "exclusionary," urging the rich to give more to the poor and criticizing a "culture of prosperity" that leads some to become "incapable of feeling compassion for the poor."
Langone said he's raised the issue more than once with Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, most recently at a breakfast in early December at which he updated him on fundraising progress.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101302230
last1standing
(11,709 posts)If he's only willing to "donate" to the Church if it stops spreading the message it was founded on then he's trying to use his wealth to subvert the faith, not enhance it. In the old days a pope could excommunicate a guy for that.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)last1standing
(11,709 posts)I'm not a Catholic (or even a Christian) so I don't want to go too deep into it all. I just found this story to be rather ironic as Langone appears to be saying "tell me being rich is good or I won't give to the poor."
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Leontius
(2,270 posts)to get there either.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)cleanhippie
(19,705 posts)Isn't believing Jesus is ones lord and savior the minimum requirement?
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Igel
(35,296 posts)Because the young rich man loved his things more than he loved God.
Lots of people, including some among the poor, love their "things" more than they love God. Some things are tangible. Some aren't. What people do is their choice. The one who set the challenge for the young rich man also said not to judge.
Jesus hung out with both sets of people. The rich and the poor. Just as he hung out both in cities and in small towns, as well as rural areas. He wasn't much of a respecter of persons.
Igel
(35,296 posts)But he's not alone in wanting to be in a church that says he's special and right and objecting to it strongly when it says he should change.
That's certainly a reduction, but not a reduction to absurdity.
No Vested Interest
(5,165 posts)regardless of any religious affiliation?
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)Kind of makes the pope's point for him, doesn't it.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)eShirl
(18,490 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)edhopper
(33,561 posts)not the Church.
The pedophilia scandal doesn't give them pause to donate, but the Pope speaks out about these rich mother fuckers and they close their wallets. What worthless pieces of shit.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)goldent
(1,582 posts)trotsky
(49,533 posts)what made it a particular scandal for the RCC was not the pedophilia itself but the institutional coverup and protection of the rapists.
rug
(82,333 posts)edhopper
(33,561 posts)is new with this Pope? Or Langone didn't understand it was a teaching while he was donating all that money? But now that the Pope has pointed it out, or created this new teaching, he wants to stop giving?
But institutional pedophilia and cover up, no matter how wide spread, as long as it wasn't "a teaching" was fine by him?
Talk about angels on the head of a pin.
goldent
(1,582 posts)but I think there is a good chance he never read and/or accepted the Social Doctrine of the Church.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/justpeace/documents/rc_pc_justpeace_doc_20060526_compendio-dott-soc_en.html
Even if he was aware, feelings can change when it is preached to your face.
There are billions of dollars donated to all kinds of organizations, and I'd say most of it is to people and organizations that have made mistakes, and these mistakes might or might not have anything to do with the mission. It is up to donor as to how to react to such mistakes.
edhopper
(33,561 posts)but the fact remains, he got upset when the Pope preached about inequity and did nothing about wide spread CHILD RAPE!
His priorities are completely fucked and he does not get a pass because some people react to different things, and it's all ones point of view and other garbage. His is a rich turd, beneath contempt.
goldent
(1,582 posts)Just saying there is a difference between Church doctrine and errors made by the Church
edhopper
(33,561 posts)because I am not making this about the Church and I think I have made myself quite clear about my feelings on the Pedophilia scandal.
He is the founder of Home Depot and one of the major contributors to the Church in this country.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)This principle should be applied to our worthless, do absolutely nothing congress.
CincyDem
(6,347 posts)As the story goes...
The heir to the Tyson poultry fortune was granted a rare 1:1 meeting with the Pope. He had a simple request. "Your Holiness", he said. "Would you be willing to change the Lord's prayer from '...give us this day our daily bread' to '...give us this day our daily chicken'?"
The Pontiff was taken aback and said certainly NOT...our "daily bread" has been part of the Lord's prayer forever.
Tyson offered a million dollars. The Pontiff said definitely NOT...our "daily bread" has been part of the Lord's prayer for a long time.
Tyson offered 500 million dollars. The Pontiff said NO...our "daily bread" has been part of the Lord's prayer for as long as I can remember.
Tyson offered 1 billion dollars and the Pontiff said "I don't think so...it's about the daily bread you know".
Then Tyson leaned over and whispered something in the Pope's ear.
Later that day...the Pope spoke to the College of Cardinals.
"I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that we've lost the Wonder Bread account. The good news is that we've picked up the Tyson's Chicken account.".
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Thanks for bringing it here.
muntrv
(14,505 posts)Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)He believes that those with more are obliged to commit more of their wealth to assist those with less.
He also condemns your hustler friends on Wall Street who have stolen trillions of working people.
Nite Owl
(11,303 posts)That's an awful large amount to spend on restoration. I think Jesus would rather it be spend on food and shelter and jobs for the poor.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Then go donate the money to a soup chicken or homeless shelter. Feeding a hungry person instead of building/fixing a church might make you feel better when you bathe in your money and steal resources from the least wealthy, you fiesty job creator you.
Goblinmonger
(22,340 posts)It was going to restore some of the RCC's capital. Big fucking deal. So the RCC doesn't make one of their churches prettier.