Wealth of Roman Catholic Church impossible to calculate

[Jordan]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/03/08/wealth-of-roman-catholic-church-impossible-to-calculate/

[retroHelen]

The Vatican Palaces - many were originally Roman Palaces of the Caesars and were furnished and had libraries. Successive incumbents have furnished their apartments to the taste of their day throughout the ages and merely storing what was there when they refurbished.

The Renaissance era saw Popes and cardinals collecting antiquities from all over Europe as a hobby as well as patronising famous artists and sculptors. As they put new art in they merely stored the old stuff and never threw anything away. How can rare Roman furniture and belongings of the Caesars be valued! Valuations tend to be based on prices brought at auctions of other similar stuff and what is in the Vatican is often absolutely unique and rare and that's just the stuff in the Vatican.

There are treasures in other ancient Bishop's Palaces/Cathedrals around the world brought as pilgrim gifts by monarchs/aristocrats through the ages. Then there's gold and treasure taken from Muslims during Crusades and Jews and Heretics during Inquisitions (the vast gold altar in Seville's Cathedral is believed to be of some of this gold). Lately there's the class action/court-cases involving stuff seized during the Nazi era belonging to Jewish famliles sent to the concentration camps that the Vatican are claiming sovereign Immunity over revealing the amount of. This is only one section of Babylon the Great's wealth. The Church of England is still the biggest land owner here. Buddhist and Hindu Temples hang with gilded wealth in other countries.

The poorer and more cash-strapped many government economies get, the more tempting these 'instant treasures' are going to look.

[Jordan]

The poorer and more cash-strapped many government economies get, the more tempting these 'instant treasures' are going to look.

Exactly -- in fact I'm sure you've read they are revoking their non profit status in Italy and are now doing that same thing in many other countries. There also talking of that here in the states.

She will be stripped bare of her wealth...

[sunshine]

I've no doubt the Vatican is one of the richest "states" in the world. I don't think anyone can imagine because no state has thousands of years of acquiring land, property,, holdings and shares in the most profitable companies all over the world, treasures, as well as donations of which they use just a fraction to run charities.

Interesting times we're living in.