CHURCH WEALTH
The sex abuse scandals have forced the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix into bankruptcy. We may be about to see the first significant public accounting of church wealth since the divorce proceedings of Henry VIII. I have friends who believe most of the Church’s riches are invested in buildings and artwork with comparatively little in genuinely disposable assets. I am with the group that believes the Church is, or certainly should be, among the wealthiest institutions on the planet. Just think of all those rich old ladies who died and left their fortunes in the care of Cardinals and Bishops. The Phoenix case could well provide a fascinating glimpse into what has happened to some of that money.
The Vatican has had more or less undisputed control over Church assets for over 800 years. Many of us remember that Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in the year 800. Many more remember that Napoleon abolished the office in 1806. Most of us have forgotten the significance. Charlemagne’s coronation highlighted a huge power struggle between Church and state. Were Kings going to appoint Popes or was it the other way around? The struggle would swing back and forth for several hundred years but by the 12th century Papal power was at its zenith with uncontested authority over the appointment of Bishops. Pope Gregory VII used that authority to impose mandatory celibacy in 1139. At the time, most priests and Bishops were married. They were required on pain of excommunication to divorce their wives, abandon their families, cede their property to the Church, and relinquish all personal claims. We can argue about whether the issue was nepotism or power and greed but the greatest transfer of wealth in history took place at a stroke.
Nobody knows how much it was all worth but by the time Henry confiscated Church property in England four hundred years later the land holdings alone were enormous. He decided to use it to secure the loyalty of the most important nobles and for this he needed an inventory. So his executors developed the survey system of sections and townships we use in the US today. Heaven only knows what the value of that land might be now. It is ironic that if there is a requirement for a survey in the Phoenix bankruptcy the courts will use a standard that dates back to Henry, and for a purpose not all that different.
Have the clerics been good stewards for the talents entrusted with them? I suspect most of us would say probably not. Secrecy and lack of accountably aren’t practices one normally associates with good stewardship. Still, it’s tempting to wonder. Let’s see now, invested wisely, say at a compound growth rate of 3% per annum, 855 years; one dollar would have grown to roughly $60 billion. Multiplied by what? A few million dollars at the time? Man that’s a lot of zeroes!
What has happened in Phoenix really is extraordinary and there could be more of it. With Catholics demanding more openness from the Clergy in matters ranging from personnel and financial administration to the personal conduct of priests, no wonder some in the hierarchy want to go back to the days when clerical authority went unchallenged. No wonder they are recruiting a new generation of more conservative priests, priest who hold loyalty and obedience to Bishops and the Pope to be paramount. If the laity ever started asking for audits on how the money gets spent this whole thing could get out of hand. This could get interesting.
The Vatican has had more or less undisputed control over Church assets for over 800 years. Many of us remember that Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in the year 800. Many more remember that Napoleon abolished the office in 1806. Most of us have forgotten the significance. Charlemagne’s coronation highlighted a huge power struggle between Church and state. Were Kings going to appoint Popes or was it the other way around? The struggle would swing back and forth for several hundred years but by the 12th century Papal power was at its zenith with uncontested authority over the appointment of Bishops. Pope Gregory VII used that authority to impose mandatory celibacy in 1139. At the time, most priests and Bishops were married. They were required on pain of excommunication to divorce their wives, abandon their families, cede their property to the Church, and relinquish all personal claims. We can argue about whether the issue was nepotism or power and greed but the greatest transfer of wealth in history took place at a stroke.
Nobody knows how much it was all worth but by the time Henry confiscated Church property in England four hundred years later the land holdings alone were enormous. He decided to use it to secure the loyalty of the most important nobles and for this he needed an inventory. So his executors developed the survey system of sections and townships we use in the US today. Heaven only knows what the value of that land might be now. It is ironic that if there is a requirement for a survey in the Phoenix bankruptcy the courts will use a standard that dates back to Henry, and for a purpose not all that different.
Have the clerics been good stewards for the talents entrusted with them? I suspect most of us would say probably not. Secrecy and lack of accountably aren’t practices one normally associates with good stewardship. Still, it’s tempting to wonder. Let’s see now, invested wisely, say at a compound growth rate of 3% per annum, 855 years; one dollar would have grown to roughly $60 billion. Multiplied by what? A few million dollars at the time? Man that’s a lot of zeroes!
What has happened in Phoenix really is extraordinary and there could be more of it. With Catholics demanding more openness from the Clergy in matters ranging from personnel and financial administration to the personal conduct of priests, no wonder some in the hierarchy want to go back to the days when clerical authority went unchallenged. No wonder they are recruiting a new generation of more conservative priests, priest who hold loyalty and obedience to Bishops and the Pope to be paramount. If the laity ever started asking for audits on how the money gets spent this whole thing could get out of hand. This could get interesting.
posted by Onfoot at 6:33 AM
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