Trust the Vatican...? (June Post)

The Wall Street Journal published an article on June 26th called "Cleaned-Up Vatican Bank Works to Justify Its Existence." What a title. So, I clicked on it. 

I am not Catholic, so I do not tend to follow Vatican news. I am actually a confirmed Presbyterian, which falls under Protestantism. 

I recently watched a series on Mary Stuart, also known as Mary Queen of Scots. She happened to be married to Francis II, the French King, during one of France's significant Protestant revolutions.

So, after watching this series and learning a bit more about the issues within the Vatican in the 1500s, I was curious to see what the Vatican is up to today. The bank faced multiple issues with money laundering and embezzlement over the past few years, which reminds me of the corruption that so many protestants rose up against in the 1500s.

The article talks about the bank and how it has been transformed over the past few years. What I was more interested in is why people are still trusting the Vatican. 

The answer, I suspect, lies in the fact that the Vatican has done this before. As a place of overwhelming, almost unimaginable, power, the Vatican naturally will face corruption. With centralized power, teh Catholic religion (a while ago)Some immoral people within its walls will want to take some of the immeasurable wealth or take advantage of their title. 

With this, one would think that the Vatican has run out of chances. The Vatican has sought forgiveness from its followers multiple times. But, Catholics continue to worship the Pope and all that the Vatican represents. There were instances, such as the Protestant revolution in France, that exposed true hatred and disloyalty toward the Vatican. But sure enough, the Catholic church still exists.

I am not a religious scholar in any sense. I, of course, do not have any sort of answer. But, with the knowledge I do have, I know that religion is more than a place. Catholicism expands beyond loyalty to the Pope. Although it is an important part of the religion, Catholicism does not rely on the honestly of the Vatican. So, regardless of the corruption, the Vatican will remain intact as Catholics do not rely on the nation-state to sustain their religion. 

The Vatican has had many chances, and it will continue to have as many chances as it needs.