The answer about the money

[Lil Red]

so what's the right way to answer the "why doesn't the Church give all it's money to the poor instead of having palaces?" question?

[phatcatholic]

the ornate vestments and buildings of the Church tend to scandalize non-catholics b/c they don't understand the language that these things speak. they see these things and hear them saying, "look at me, i'm so ostentatious and greedy." but that's not what these things are saying. instead, they are saying, "i give all i have, and the best i have to glorify you and reflect your greatness." an excellent example of this miscommunication at work is found in matthew's gospel:

[b]Mat 26:6-13[/b]
[b]6 [/b]Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
[b]7 [/b]a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table.
[b]8 [/b]But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
[b]9 [/b]For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor."
[b]10 [/b]But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
[b]11 [/b]For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
[b]12 [/b]In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial.
[b]13 [/b]Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

Jesus [i][b]commended the woman[/b][/i] for sparing no expense in her worship of him.

also, i think the architecture and "things" of the Church take on a whole new meaning once we realize that [i][b]God's Real Presence is there[/b][/i]. we see this in Exodus, chapters 25-28, in the instructions for the tabernacle, and the courtyard, and the priestly vestments. God [i][b]instructed them[/b][/i] to build his dwelling place with only the finest of materials. their structures and their vestments were highly ornate. this was b/c these things symbolized the very presence of the Lord for the people. everywhere they went they were sure to know the place of the tabernacle in relation to their location. it was their focal point, the "source and summit of the faith" if you will (how ironic ). the Catholic Church reflects this practice still today. Jesus is present in our churches, and in a most profound way. the presence we experience is unlike anything the Israelites experienced. so, our churches/altars/statues/vestments are all the more vindicated.

would the protestant be so bold as to chastise the woman from matthew's gospel, or God's chosen people?

for more info, see the following articles:

--[url="http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5743/answers2.html"][b]Questions on Policies and Practices[/b][/url] ([b]note:[/b] see #4 and #5)
--[url="http://www.catholicapologetics.net/WORLDLINESS.htm"][b]Responding to the "Wealth" and "Worldliness" of the Catholic Church[/b][/url]
--[url="http://davidmacd.com/catholic/isn_church_rich.htm"][b]Isn't the Church Rich?[/b][/url]

pax christi,
phatcatholic

Edited April 18, 2005 by phatcatholic

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

It is also worthy to note that the ornate Cathedrals were built in another time and were not worth so much when purchased as they are now.

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='Apr 18 2005, 02:56 AM'] so what's the right way to answer the "why doesn't the Church give all it's money to the poor instead of having palaces?" question? [/quote]
And so twenty years from now when all the money is gone, what we we do for the poor then?