2.7 Non è forse anticristiano per la Chiesa essere così ricca?
Gran parte della “ricchezza” della Chiesa non può essere venduta: la ricchezza più grande è il messaggio del Vangelo! Anche i capolavori artistici e gli antichi manoscritti sono invendibili, ma devono davvero essere correttamente gestiti. I terreni che la Chiesa possiede in tutto il mondo sono usati per scuole cattoliche, ospedali, enti, chiese e così via. Essi quindi non producono entrate, sebbene gli edifici siano costosi da mantenere.
Il bilancio annuale della Città del Vaticano è utilizzato per pagare gli impiegati e per la conservazione e il restauro delle opere d’arte del Vaticano. Il denaro è usato anche per finanziare le attività della Santa Sede e per fornire aiuti d’emergenza e collaborazione allo sviluppo in tutto il mondo.
What is the content of the social doctrine of the Church?
The social doctrine of the Church is an organic development of the truth of the Gospel about the dignity of the human person and his social dimension offering principles for reflection, criteria for judgment, and norms and guidelines for action. [CCCC 509]
Why does the Catholic Church have her own social teaching?
Because all men, as children of God, possess a unique dignity, the Church with her social teaching is committed to defending and promoting this human dignity for all men in the social sphere. She is not trying to preempt the legitimate freedom of politics or of the economy. When human dignity is violated in politics or economic practices, however, the Church must intervene.
“The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well” (second Vatican Council, GS). In her social teaching, the Church makes this statement specific. And she asks: How can we take responsibility for the well-being and the just treatment of all, even of non-Christians? What is a just organization of human society, of political, economic, and social institutions supposed to look like? In her commitment to justice, the Church is guided by a love that emulates Christ’s love for mankind. [Youcat 438]
[Why does the Church not sell its richness?] This is an easy question. They are not the treasures of the Church, [but] the treasures of humanity... For example, if tomorrow I say that Michelangelo's Pieta is going to be auctioned, it can't be done, because it's not the property of the Church. It's inside a Church, but it belongs to humanity... [This is true] for all the treasures of the Church. [Pope Francis, Interview in Straatkrant, 6 Nov. 2015]
