Pope Francis likely to cut staff bonus, citing hard times

[onehandle]

Source: Reuters



ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who is quickly earning a reputation for frugality since taking office last month, is likely to scrap a traditional bonus given to Vatican staff, a spokesman for the Holy See said on Thursday.

The bonus is usually paid to Vatican employees to mark special occasions such as the deaths and elections of popes.

But Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said: "I don't think there will be any bonus."

"Extra expenses are something that might be normal in a situation of abundance, but that is not the world we find ourselves in now."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-francis-likely-cut-staff-bonus-citing-hard-155458121.html;_ylt=A2KJ2PZLiXBR8EAAwgnQtDMD

[broadcaster75201]

1. Sell all that you have and give it to the poor

It's a Jesus thing.

[onehandle]

2. America first.

Empty Fort Knox. Build condos in Yellowstone. Sell the Declaration of Independence to a Chinese Billionaire.

[Ken Burch]

5. Pope John Paul I, when he was still an archbishop,

did sell off the gold items in his cathedral and donated the proceeds to the poor. I've always wondered if that helped lead to his early death.

[LiberalElite]

8. At a certain level they do seem to have forgotten all that -

I've been saying they should sell the art collection for years. Imagine how they could help people with all that $$$$$$$$$$$$. I was raised Catholic, left it in high school. Haven't seen any reason in the following decades to go back.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. Hard times? or the Catholic Church? An organization whose walls are lines with priceless

objects of art? An organization that spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the centuries buying the silence (or paying the fees for) of rape victims?

[CTyankee]

4. If his staff is mainly celibate priests, why would I care? I would fear for the lesser staff

such as the women who clean up around him. They would need help, certainly not the priests.

[Ken Burch]

6. He could start selling indulgences again...

...from what I've heard, they used to do a fairly lucrative trade in that line.

[ncteechur]

7. how about paying some damages to all those victims of your pedophile priests? hmmmm

IMHO, the Catholic Church as a central organization is bankrupt of morality until they come to terms with the actions of their priests, bishops, and until they stop bashing their American nuns, who still are following their commitments to the folks they believe they are called to serve.

[Proletariatprincess]

9. Hard times, my teeny weeny papal beany...

the Vatican is crying poor mouth to get out of paying off big lawsuits. The treasures in the Vatican are beyond our imagination in value. Sell 'em, Pappa. Sell them to museums so the world can see them and then give the money to the poor and those whose lives were destroyed by your preditory preists.

[defacto7]

10. That will go over

like a lead Ex Cathedra.

[davidpdx]

11. Pope Austerity?