The Vow Of Poverty...what Happened?

[Thomas]

Hey everyone, this is a question that has plagued me for some time now.

I love God, and I love the Church, but there is something that is bothering me:

Don't the Clergy take a vow of poverty? If so, how come the Pope is living so 'fancy'? Same with many Cardinals, Deacons, et al.?

This is not an attack on the church, and I hope it doesn't appear to be. I know that there is a justification, I just havn't heard it. Please help me with my faith.

-Thomas

[BLAZEr]

The clergy do not take vows of poverty unless they belong to a religious community. Diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty. Bishops do not have a vow of poverty. The pope does not have a vow of poverty.

They do all make a promise to live simply. Simple living means that their lifestyle is not extravagant or voluptuous.

Honestly, looking at the life of the Pope and the lives of our bishops and cardinals, I do not see an extravagant lifestyle. I am sure that there are some bishops and cardinals who live extravagantly, but I can't think of one single example.

Our pope does not take more than he needs to do his job. He does not have great huge feasts on any regular basis, in fact friends of mine who have dined with him mention that even his meals are 2 or 3 courses tops (soup/salad, main dish, desert/fruit). Our pope wears the same clothes everyday, a simple white cassock. He lives in a building that is over 80% office space. He travels as a part of his job and takes vacations (or at least used to) to the mountains and quiet simple retreat houses.

I just don't see where our pope is living a "fancy" life. He does have, in one sense, a fancier life than you or I probably do. But it is part of his job to be available to people all over the world, so he travels. He has to receive heads of state and foreign dignitaries, so I'm sure there are some nice receptions and dinners at the Vatican. But more than that, well, I just don't see it.

I hope you will take this question to Open Mic so that you can get a wider response to your question. I'm sure most people wouldn't say the pope and cardinals live an extravagant life.