THE Holy See has recorded a deficit in its budget for the third year in a row.
It is often argued in secular society that the Catholic Church is a wealthy body which can afford to fork out millions of dollars for all sorts of causes each year.
These proponents generally point to the art treasures held at the Vatican and elsewhere.
Apart from losing sight of the fact that many of these art treasures are priceless and therefore not easily marketable, this argument misses the purpose of the Church in the world.
The Church’s wealth cannot be measured in monetary terms. Its riches are contained in its message of eternal life through Christ.
Jesus told us that God’s kingdom is not of this earth. It’s a point worth remembering when people try to measure the perceived material wealth of the Church.