asterism
Congress != Progress
The Church cannot sell what it does not own. While the trappings of wealth do not sit comfortably with me as an individual.... No one can sell those things... not even the Pope. He doesn't have the authority. No one does.
The Catholic Church certainly does own those valuable artifacts it paid to have created. The Church most certainly owns the gold its followers donated. The Bishop owns the ring people kiss, that ring will stay on his finger when he is buried.
I'm Catholic and I AM getting my house in order.
Locally, Churches are able to do much more - and my local Church certainly does. Most of the upkeep of the building is done by themselves - other than occasionally they employ the unemployed to undertake maintenance - that their salaries are paid from donations.
But the Catholic Church cannot sell what it does not own.
It certainly CAN sell what it does own, and it owns a LOT.
We already do more than any other group on earth. Should we bury rings with the Bishops? Probably not. But in the scheme of things, I'm not gonna lose sleep over it. Nor will I allow fools like blu to demand we do yet more just to relieve him of his guilt. I do more than my share for others. I am comfortable with how much I do for others. What other's choose to do nor not do is not my concern.... as long as they don't bitch about my Church not doing enough.
I'm not comfortable with a millionaire Bishop picking my pockets.