comment: >
  
  I like the sentiment. He’s the best pope in my lifetime. It’s still funny to hear the head of one of the worlds most historically powerful institutions say this.
context: File under: Unintentional Irony. >
  
  his ridiculous golden prayer baton could feed the entirety of Guatemala for a week … this “stay poor, and the imaginary sky God will bless you” while we roll in gold scenario has to stop! >
  
  I know he replaced the opulent throne with a wooden one… wish he’d do the same with everything else. >
  
  They still have the gold throne, it was moved to the basement with the countless other priceless artifacts >
  
  Yes that is necessary for a country to hold onto treasures, but not sitting in it daily is a good statement. >
  
  Pfft. You say the same about Nazi gold? There's not a single punce of precious metal in the Vatican that isn't blood stained. 
  "Necessary" for what? The pop could wave his arm and every Catholic in a thousand miles would donate a new golden throne. 
  If he wants people to be like Jesus, the Vatican should be broke as he was >
  
  What asshole is sitting on Nazi gold daily? (Also illegal to have by international law) Vatican is a country and every country’s treasures are stained in blood. False equivalency here. The church is falling in membership dramatically and I personally don’t agree with it, but I can recognize at least something decent by people I’m not fond of. >
  
  The church was built on blood. The church continues to build itself on blood to this day. The most powerful man in the world stepped out of his Palace in his private kingdom, leaning on his 40 million euro golden cane, to address a Christmas mass of millions of devout followers around the world, to tell them "not to be power hungry". The Vatican is bad at being like Jesus. >
  
  None of this relevant to the chair statement. We can’t change our futures without acknowledging and moving on from our pasts. I’m not saying anyone is a saint, just that a wooden chair for the throne of the leader of a city state known for its hippocratic opulence sends a better message than before. >
  
  And how many mouths does messaging feed? How many of the poor and destitute are lifted from poverty by the pope trying to improve public relations for the Catholic image in pop culture? I'm sorry but I can't see the value of your perspective because the actions you're lauding are not worthy of respect. >
  
  He says as he holds a cross worth thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars >
  
  If it's solid gold, it's probably worth the higher end of hundreds of thousands on material alone. add to it the religious significance and provenance and easily worth millions. >
  
  Easily. It's a religious relic. But so are his undies, so. Take that how you will. >
  
  
  But so are his undies, so. Take that how you will.
  
  I see a great opportunity in selling holy water that is just the bathwater of the pope. >
  
  Dios mio... >
  
  And also a refugee looking for shelter for his family from an oppressive government. Kinda like the people trying immigrate to wealthier nations >
  
  People still forget that Jesus and his family were refugees when the fled for Egypt.  Ironically it was the Romans that wanted him dead as a child and the later Romans that took his teachings creating the Roman Catholic faith. >
  
  
  Romans that wanted him dead as a child
  
  Herod the great want Him dead as child
  Herod is Jewish king definitely not Roman >
  
  The catholic church is one of the richest institution in the world. 
  How hypocritical that pope can be? >
  
  Isn't that most Catholics though? I mean so many votes for Trump and he's a pornstar banging (While married no less) con artist and general sleezeball. If you add in how many religious types are progun despite the fifth commandment. I mean it is thou shall not kill, not thou shall not kill unless they are gay, Jewish, colored, Muslim, Lutheran, Cathar, Protestant, Mormon, stealing your Xbox. >
  
  You're confusing Catholic with Christian, the former are a subset of the later but didn't vote for Trump. >
  
  You sure about that? Seems to me like there’s a lot of crazy republican Catholics out there. Not to mention, he put Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court, a woman known to be a particularly fanatical catholic. >
  
  I'm not sure I'd consider her Catholic. That's like considering a Mormon to be Christian. >
  
  Except Mormons are Christian. They worship Christ. There’s a ton of doctrine they also believe in that other Christians would consider blasphemous, but they still identify as Christians and are definitionally Christian. You can’t “no true Scotsman” them out of Christianity. >
  
  Definitely doesn't fall under that fallacy.
  ~~Their~~ Smith's addendums are considered blasphemous by Christians because they would be the "false prophets" that are prophesied in their holy text.
  That text also warns against such addendums.
  Also, the advocation of slavery and polygamy by it's founder, among other things. >
  
  Okay, I’ll admit, your first comment didn’t use any “no true Scotsman” claims. I just expected you to use that because religious gatekeepers typically do.
  But your examples don’t add up. Slavery and polygamy are biblical. The Book of Mormon didn’t support polygamy, it was the bible that Joseph Smith used as justification for taking additional wives. It was the Bible that he referenced when making up “the law of Sarah” to tell his first wife Emma that she was ordered by god to let him marry other women. 
  Not to mention, there were many Christians sects of that day that were pro-slavery. The slavers of the American south at the time were Christians and could point to examples of slavery in the Bible as justification for slavery. A few pro-slavery Mormon leaders was hardly unusual.
  And so many Christians from all sorts of backgrounds claim to be prophets. Even more common is Christians writing books to teach people about their religion. People who don’t agree will describe it as blasphemy, but that doesn’t make them less Christian. It makes them a different sort of Christian. >
  
  Slavery and polygamy are certainly in the bible, but I'd argue they aren't advocated.
  People have used the Bible as a tool to control and manipulate for a very long time.
  Sure, many people who call themselves Christians do all sorts of things contrary to Christianity. That's on them.
  I'm not talking about some random preacher in the confederacy.
  I'm talking about the very founder of Mormonism, who considered himself a prophet ordained by God, advocated for slavery and polygamy.
  Every follower of every religion has their own interpretation, and I don't see an issue with that until you're trying to tell people that only your interpretation is correct. >
  
  People use the Bible to control and manipulate because it’s the perfect tool for control and manipulation. It’s so vague and contradictory that anyone can cherry-pick any message they want from it. 
  Sorry, but I just find your reasoning for excluding Mormons from Christianity to be flimsy. Even if they have all the additions that other Christians might find blasphemous, they still follow Jesus Christ. Other Christians might say they’re doing it wrong, but worshipping Jesus as their savior makes them Christians. >
  
  Now tell us the story about what Jesus did to the money changers in the temple. Tell that one next. >
  
  Jesus whipped people because they were selling things in church. This is a no-no only the church is allowed to sell things in church. And then everyone clapped. >
  
  Serious question. What does the treasure of the Vatican do for the Catholic people? For the “church”? >
  
  The buildings can be beautiful. >
  
  Also Jesus could create food out of nothing and raise people from the dead, cash in hand isn’t a major concern for the son of god. >
  
  That was the alpha version of Jesus. There have been so many versions since then, from a crusader to fighting commies. The current version, “Jesus 2022 Extreme MAGA Edition”, carries an AR-15 and a fist full of greenbacks.
  In short, man creates their gods in their own image. The world is an increasingly selfish and unjust place, so we get a selfish and unjust Jesus. >
  
  But Jesus wasn’t selfish or unjust. >
  
  Which Jesus? The gay-hating white guy who lots of mega-churches worship, or the middle-eastern hippie who washes people’s feet? >
  
  In that case I guess the Vatican secret archives will soon be opened for everyone to access and visit? Since they shouldn’t be power-hungry they should be glad to share this knowledge with us poor plebeians. >
  
  The Vatican Secret Archive was actually renamed Vatican Apostolic Archive back in 2019. It's been open to the public for decades and a digitization effort has created millions of digital images.
  It's really like any other state archive, not unlike the National Archives in the US. They declassify materials on a regular basis once it's past a certain time period. Most materials from before 75 years ago are available and some more recent materials have also been declassified at the discretion of the pope. >
  
  Putting aside the hypocrisy of this coming from the Catholic Church, the Facebook comments I saw on this story were also absurd. There were people arguing that since one of the disciples was a treasurer, that had to mean that Jesus was actually quite wealthy because poor people don’t have treasurers. Modern Christians will do any mental gymnastics they can to justify their way of living. >
  
  I especially loved his bulletproof JesusMobile. And how he protected his apostles from child molestation charges by moving them to different villages. >
  
  Add in 'dressing in high drag' and I think you've basically written the Pope's job description. >
  
  Being able to do sick death drops is a must. >
  
  Franciscans: "OH REALLY MISTER POPE!?" >
  
  Laughs in Jesuit corruption >
  
  So when are they gonna sell off the Vatican’s real estate, property, artwork and other valuables and start preaching from a simple shack with wooden benches? >
  
  "Just sell everything and forget about our 2000 years of history written in all things we own" - the Catholic Church, probably never >
  
  Nothing in the Vati is older than 1600 years, and the "Vatican City" wasn't founded until 1929. We can repaint when they move. >
  
  The Vatican itself is what’s left of the Roman Empire. It never truly fell, it just rebranded >
  
  Okay I realize his parents not being able to do much with the frankincense and myrrh but what the hell did they do with the gold? >
  
  Was Jesus poor? What happen to the gold, frankenscence, and myhrr? >
  
  I guess he should have invested them in a Roman mutual fund or something right from his birth? >
  
  How’s that gold cross holding up >
  
  Yep.  Never any luxuries going on at the Catholic Church. >
  
  Greg Abbott clinched his 👊🏽 fist reading this. >
  
  Pope: Do something nice for Christmas.
  Reddit: FUCK this guy >
  
  I’m sure Hitler, Dump, Mao, Putin, Satan, etc. all said something relatively benevolent at one point too. 
  It doesn’t matter what someone says as much as who they are, what the represent, and what they do. Everyone can say words, especially empty ones. >
  
  None of those guys said nice things. >
  
  Hitler said smoking was bad for you and loved dogs >
  
  Smoking is bad for you, it'll ruin your lungs and ability to serve in the army! 
  You should be smoking panzermeth,  obviously >
  
  Here’s your army issue meth pipe private, Godspeed. >
  
  As he holds a fucking golden cross that’s worth more than my entire net worth. Thanks for all the help. >
  
  Says the pedophile protector in a dress wearing ancient untold wealth. >
  
  ...He said from atop his castle wearing his golden hat.
  Seriously though, that kind of decency is beyond dead in the developed dystopian world. We have a handful of insatiablly greedy lords that the public cheers on as aspirational role models and titans of industry that use their great wealth and political control to manipulate and exploit everyone else, while those they exploit dream of being in their position to be at the top of the cruelty machine instead of breaking the cycle and repairing the system to work for more than a few assholes on the backs of hundreds of millions.
  Capitalism hates the poor, and our crony capitalist economy is the developed world's only true God. Note how often the Government turns the screws on the people who are worst off in order to protect our beloved economy.
  If Jesus existed and returned, the white nationalists and the capitalists would fight over who gets to crucify him again, the former for his skin tone, and the latter for his dangerous rhetoric of loving your neighbor instead of competing against them for scraps. >
  
  Instructions unclear, invaded neighbour's country for more oil. >
  
  I’m power hungry in the sense I like my electricity, gas and internet working. >
  
  Just cause Jesus was a broke boy don’t mean I’m about to be >
  
  gtfoh with your garish golden cross. >
  
  “Jesus was poor” says man carrying golden scepter who claims he talks to god >
  
  Has he met the Catholic church? >
  
  I heard it on the radio, and I said aloud, "That's rich coming from the pope." >
  
  Says the pope
  One of the most internationally powerful men in the world, leader of one of the wealthiest religion/churches/cults whatever >
  
  Says the Pope…. One of, if not the, most powerful man in the world…. >
  
  Sitting inside a huge basilica filled with gold and priceless objects of art. >
  
  Wearing the silliest fucking hats >
  
  And now what the Queen died he has no competition. >
  
  "Now, hand me my gold encrusted ceremonial cross. NO! Not the bronze one, dummy, GOLD!" >
  
  Says the organization that has controlled people for centuries. >
  
  As he sits on top of the largest cache of stolen wealth on the planet. Cool cool. >
  
  says the man in the golden palace >
  
  Lmao says the guy who lives in an opulent palace    Fuck him >
  
  That’s a message I can get behind.
  But the church has no business trying to tell others not to be power hungry when they do nothing to stop those who use the church to gain power. 
  As long as they are paying the church money, they turn a blind eye to all the evil their members create. >
  
  said the asshole draped in gold….let’s open those Vatican vaults and use the money for some good >
  
  Prays for starving children while sitting on a golden throne >
  
  Spoken from his golden chair, no doubt. >
  
  Guilty for plenty of things but pope Francis famously rejected the golden throne used for the last few (since jp2?) for a simple wooden one, using that argument isn’t going to make you seem in the know to any Catholics >
  
  That will surely make up for the last 1600-1800 years of trespasses. >
  
  Started my comment with that statement my g >
  
  My family = not my Pope, this is a filthy commie liberal not a real Catholic Pope
  Need an authoritarian brutal and lawless corporatist Pope >
  
  The Vatican as an institution should not exist. Its just a bunch of power hungry bishops, cardinals and priests. There is nothing pious about the Catholic Church as an institution. This is a joke. >
  
  He said, holding a cross made of pure gold, stolen with lies from peasants. Gg ez, pope. >
  
  Did he say it from his gold throne? >
  
  Most richest landlord on earth yet promoting its priests to be poor and the rest of wolrd but not them >
  
  Slaps bottom of teen boy after pronouncement. >
  
  teen - too old ┌( ಠ‿ಠ )┘ >
  
  I hate how many religious leaders end up being hypocrites. >
  
  Rather rich of the Catholic church to say that no? >
  
  That sure is RICH coming from the Catholic Church >
  
  Thanks, Pope. Ya saved us all… >
  
  I’m sure that’ll fix everything. Thanks, religion! >
  
  Useless man. Useless religion. >
  
  As long as we are poor they are rich. Stop listening to all these Christians lies. Fucking church people. Hey live poor and give all your money to the church. Biggest scam ever >
  
  So you’re going to give back all the land and gold and everything the church has stolen or compelled your illiterate cult members to give the church over the last 200 yrs?? Good on ya! >
  
  Says the Catholic Church >
  
  He decreed from his throne and gold threaded dress >
  
  Not for nothing, but wasn't Jesus a carpenter? That is certainly not a "poor" profession during that time period. >
  
  The greek word is tekton, which just means "builder", so he could have been anything from a construction laborer to an artisan carpenter. In either case, non-nobles and non-collaborators, even artisans, weren't doing great in occupied Judea, and Jesus' family spent the first part of his childhood as refugees. >
  
  lol. Says the head of one of the most power hungry and blood thirsty organizations on the planet. >
  
  Ahh, coming from the leader of the world's most profitable religion that held control of major governments for a thousand years.
  A religion that has it's own country.
  The hypocrisy is palpable, I can almost mold it like playdoh. >
  
  Sadly this will fall on deaf ears for the people it’s directed at >
  
  Like the Vatican itself? >
  
  Claro que si >
  
  Then maybe sell your gold cross to feed the poor bro... Fucking hypocrite. >
  
  Alternate headline: Pope deli8vers speech while all mirrors and other reflective surfaces are removed from Vatican. >
  
  Yeah well, Jesus got murdered by the people in power,so what does that tell you? >
  
  Said the dude surrounded by gold. >
  
  Ummm ya….Im pretty sure, power hungry people don’t care about about how Jesus behaved. >
  
  Look in the mirror Mr. Pope. >
  
  He also gave his teaching standing on a rock or under a tree. Not in a multimillion dollar suburban entertainment complex. >
  
  Oh, well, thanks Pope.  After all those centuries of raping the peasants to fund the Vatican coffers.  I mean, you're the best Pope in forever, but help out the peasants a bit. >
  
  Says the guy in a city built on tithes and tax exemption for centuries, wrapped in gold and silver. Such hypocrisy. I’m shocked I tell you, shocked. >
  
  Says the man in a fancy hat, surrounded by gold and able to command millions of Catholics.  
  Fuck the church and the pope.  Bunch of fucking, pedophilic bastards. >
  
  He said behind his solid gold crucifix in the palatial seat of power that put his savior on a cross…. >
  
  But… he wasn’t. Joseph was a descendant from David. Joseph wasn’t the Roman emperor, but he was locally wealthy and recognized >
  
  Dude literally sits on a gold throne. When he donates it to the hungry I'll start listening to his ideas. >
  
  I mean, he literally doesn't sit on a gold throne, but go off I guess. >
  
  i feel like anyone who can magic water into wine and fishes from rocks or whatever is exactly as rich or poor as he wants to be >
  
  Bruh look in the mirror >
  
  This is fuckin hysterical >
  
  As Benedict sits atop a cash reserve that touches 100 bln…don’t be this, do that… >
  
  Now that sounds a little hypocritical from the head of the Catholic Church, holding a massive golden cross. I always think of those poor native people in Latin America and how Catholics stole all the gold and silver and brought them Christ and death in form of infections in exchange for the treasures back in the days. Wonder when the Pope will return the stolen stuff back to the native Americans? 
  I mean look at the cathedrals of Europe, especially Spain, Portugal, Italy, France. Most of the gold and silver you find inside them have been literally stolen and taken from Americas in last 500 years and it made the Catholic Church the richest company in the world till present time. >
  
  Jesus was poor be happy like he was while I sleep on a silk pillow and hold gigantic golden crosses >
  
  The church ⛪️ have over 100 billion in assesstes they can feed the entire world if they wanted to. >
  
  He says while clutching a literal golden cross…. >
  
  Speaking from that gold-covered shanty known as The Vatican. >
  
  He said, surrounded by piles of stolen gold >
  
  Uhh I don’t think Jesus was poor. Foreign dignitaries attended his birth and brought very nice gifts. He spent the next 30 years traveling and his last 3 as a politician. Bootstraps! >
  
  Lmao says the Pope… a person draped in the finest silks and gold, telling peasants not to be power-hungry.. 👌 >
  
  Hold my solid gold scepter. I have something to say. >
  
  Greed: solved. Good job everyone, time to go home! >
  
  He says while wearing gilded gold robes, the Catholic Church has global wealth and land ownership, not mentioning all of the priceless artefacts it has hoarded throughout history within the bowels of the Vatican. All religious institutions and churches should be taxed. >
  
  Or hoard most of the world's wealth >
  
  Says the guy holding the cross made of gold. >
  
  He was also imaginary >
  
  Says the man with the golden cross >
  
  Says the guy who lives in a golden palace >
  
  Hollow words from a hollow man. >
  
  Never mind that, what about all the child rape from an organization who’s sole business is preaching morality at others based on a fantasy story… not even a consistent one. >
  
  I don’t think Jesus was pro capitalism. Or second amendment. But whatever. >
  
  Haha, I’ve been to the Vatican, nice try. >
  
  Jesus'existence has yet to be proven. Let's start there and move forward. >
  
  There is little to no debate amongst historians that a man called Jesus was preaching in Judea around 30CE and that a cult of personality popped up around him. >
  
  And if we don’t believe in Jesus is it okay then? >
  
  Jesus was not poor, that’s a misconception, born out of not reading and understanding scripture properly, Joseph his earthly father was a well know carpenter, they had enough money to pay for the hotel they arrived at but it was booked so they had to opt for the place were the animals were staying >
  
  Did he have a trust fund?
  I could be wrong, but my guess is they're referring to the lifestyle he would come to embrace, not the circumference of his birth. >
  
  The Roman Catholic organization have tried for hundreds of years to associate Christianity with poverty as if it is a good thing, I don’t believe in extravagant lifestyles but also am against the teaching that been poor is a Christian thing or a good thing, that is just nonsense. >
  
  So. On the one hand, the Gospels have several examples of Jesus preaching about the difficulty of being both rich and compliant with God's will.
  On the other hand, yes, Christianity (and not just Catholicism) had long told the poor "don't worry, you'll get your reward in heaven, so don't resent or oppose the rich; they're going to suffer later, poor them, now get back to work", and been used to reinforce the status quo. >
  
  The problem is not wealth or money, but the love for money, the scripture is clear on that, and even using common sense it will tell you that the love for material things never ends well, Jesus teachings were on the side of a good balance between working towards a better way of life and also not putting your hearth in that wealth, even though money is necessary to live a comfortable life, also to help others, etc, in the end is about were your trust is resting, happiness should never rest or depend on how wealthy we are. >
  
  Says the guy representing the most powerful  scam organisation ever, full of pedophiles  and responsible of the most  horrific crimes against their brainwashed slaves >
  
  Annnnnnnd now the Pope is banned on Twitter. >
  
  Says one of only two European dictators. >
  
  
  Jesus was poor
  
  Alright.. let's say we take the bible at it's word. He set aside the wealth of heaven to walk the earth... Couldn't even make it 3 years before he had kings bringing him gold, and other shit.
  His own apostles describe him hobnobbing with the rich and attending elaborate dinners (beyond the miracles/last supper).
  If anything, any comforts the man experienced were a result of his lineage... Jesus, the literal son of god, left paradise to come down and tell us mere mortals to be "content" with what we had...
  Has a real missionary traveling to Africa claiming a bit of Jesus will fix their war torn lands kind of detached feel... >
  
  Counter point: Jesus was celibate, so don’t be raping little kids >
  
  I don’t know but that message from the leader of the most powerful, rich and problematic religions in the world, doesn’t sit right. >
  
  They raped And molested children! Fk the Church! When my grand father was on his death bed I asked him if I should get a priest to give him his last absolution because being a Catholic it is his right. He looked at me and said with his last dying breath, “ tell the fakers to stop touching little boys!”. The Church is dead, they are truly the evil among men. >
  
  “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.”
  I’ve always liked these kinds of verses. It’s a shame Christians don’t actually bother to learn from their own book. >
  
  Now that sounds a little hypocritical from the head of the Catholic Church, holding a massive golden cross. I always think of those poor native people in Latin America and how Catholics stole all the gold and silver and brought them Christ and death in form of infections in exchange for the treasures back in the days. Wonder when the Pope will return the stolen stuff back to the native Americans? I mean look at the cathedrals of Europe, especially Spain, Portugal, Italy, France. Most of the gold and silver you find inside them have been literally stolen and taken from Americas in last 500 years and it made the Catholic Church the richest company in the world till present time. I should also mention this fact: all the precious metals brought to Europe from Americas during Conquista years caused the worst devaluation of    treasure holdings of many European kingdoms of that time, causing social instability and centuries of wars with huge numbers of casualties. Thank you Jesus. >
  
  Jesus was a tradie with his own treasurer. He was never poor. >
  
  Oh, is the vatican having a fine art and jewelry sale? >
  
  That's ironic seeing he's waving his giant gold cross. >
  
  Than live in a hut dude! >
  
  So said the highest up in the corporate church who has the most power. >
  
  Lol.  
  That message will resonate in the United States for sure. >
  
  This coming from a man who sits on a throne of souls