The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-07-01
WHERE THE MONEY GOESi
N. Catholic Review


WHERE THE MONEY GOES;
NY. Catholic Review
"The receipts of the Vatican from the
Pope's Jubilee were Sl.248 $50, exclusive
of valuable presents" said telegraphic
der patch from Rome dated the 9TH met.
As a respected friend of onrs, a German,
who is not Catholic, read off the sum. be
gave a significant laugh and remarked on
the "poverty of the Pope. Doubtless
many another has laughed in the same
sense, and wondered where all the money,
go freely given, has gone to. What can a
poor, feeble old man, shut up in the Vati-
can and tottering into the grave, want
with so much money! Our we'll instruct
same subject, have not concealed their
mods and winks and wreathed smiles.
Well, it is wonder. Over a million
dollars within few months, raised and
transmitted to Rome as free Offering to
an old man. Why Russia or Turkey to-
day, Italy itself, would promise any
amount of security for loan of little
impossible or exceedingly difficult to raise
it. Yet here, unsolicited, it dribbles i1
from all quarters of the world to "tbe old
man in the Vatican"
1t is natural that our non Catholic
friends should wonder at this; yet a little
renectlon on their own parts ought TO re-
move all matter for surprise.
1t ia q mistake in the first place to cup
pose that these are merely personal Offer
ings to the Pope.-The Pope's annual per-
sonal expenses are less than those of many
a bookke eper in New York far less than
the annual gum that many young or old
fool losses across the bar at Delmonico't
for drinks" No, these cfferings are the
patrimony of the Church placed in the
Pope's safe keeping.
Bot what is dope with all the money
This is also a very easy question to answer
The Church does not live on air bishops
priests and religious do not live on air
The churches they tend are not built or
air the charities under their charge, the
Institutions and those who fill them are
not airy creations. The Catholic missions
are not conducted by angels from heaven
but by men and women. The schools and
churches they found have to be supported
and the native support in a missionary
country is generally nothing at all or mex
to nothing.
But coming down to recent years, since
the seizure of Rome and the Roman States
by Victor Emmanuel, what did that seizure
meant 1t meant simply a capture and vi
client appropriation of the proEerty of the
Church over which the Pope reigned as
temporal Prince. This was cutting fl a
once what may be called the Pope's owl
revenues. He could not take penny o
his own money. True, the robber king
has repeatedly ffered the Pope a pittanc'
out of the Pope's own money, which wa
naturally rejected, aud the offer resented
as an insult.
In selling the patrimopy of the Church
Victor Emmanuel dispersed most of thu
monks and npns, destroyed their works
nues, sold their libraries, their effects, thei
statues and paintings, their objects of art
allo wing in some cases a certain return
value at a fixed sum. If we recollec
rightly, either one-third or two thirds tn,
amount yielded from this kind of revenue
flows into the royal Golfers for the King
personal use.
Mean while the poor monks and nuns
we're thrown on the world without an.
means of employment or support, with NJ
one to feed them. This is no figure o
speech, but fact. The Pope and tn
charity of the faithful had to keep then
from starving. Many, of course, drifted OF
into various countries: but to- day Ger
many, Austria, Switzerland and Russia, a
we'll as Italy-by far the greater part G
Kurope-are closed against them. AM
the objects of their charity were in wors
| plight than themselves.
Then again many bishops were dispos
| sessed of their sees, many priests of thei
charges. The State endowment was with
| drawn; OUT Cney nA0 TO 90 Cnelr WOTk al
the same. The churches had to be KEEP
open, tie services carried on, the school
to be supported, the poor and famishin
attended. This is the Church's mission
and must be carried through, whether gov
ernments lend helping hand or not.
Where could all these people look 70
guidance and help unless to Rome An
help in every case meant money. In char
ity more than anything else is it true ths
" 11ne words butter no parsnips." TIL
Catholics of the United States have con
tributed q goodly sum; yet before thes
troubles arose the Pope's own donation t
our American College in Rome was $95, 90
at one offer.
The bishops and priests of Germany hav
been, and are being, not only dispOssessed
but fined and their possessions seized b
the government. In Switzerland the
gather on the hillsides with their hockt
while apostates are placed in possession @
Catholic churches and Catholic revenues
They are not forgotten by 1.-The old man i
the Vatican"
The beat monument of the liberality of th
Popes, their love for true charity, their on
couragement of literature, of the arts an
sciences, of education in every shape an