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Faith

Ho Ho Holy Discount! Did You Know the Vatican Has a High-End, Duty-Free Department Store That Sells Luxury Items?

Dec. 23, 2012 6:12am Billy Hallowell

VATICAN CITY (TheBlaze/AP) — We’re down to the wire now, as Christmas is just two days away. Anyone left on your Christmas list just aching for a 65-inch Samsung 3D flat-screen television? Just your luck. The Vatican’s duty-free department store has one on sale for (EURO)2,899 ($3,840) — a nifty savings over the (EURO)3,799 ($5,032) it costs at Italy’s main electronics chain Euronics.

Or how about some new luggage for the holidays? The Vatican shop stocks a variety of Samsonite Cordoba Duo carry-ons for (EURO)123, a nice markdown from the (EURO)135 on the Samsonite website. But if a last-minute shopping splurge is in order, the Vatican can also oblige: Take this leather-bound travelling trunk from Florence’s “The Bridge” leatherworks, with its five drawers, plaid interior, six wooden hangars and shiny brass buckles.

At (EURO)5,900, it comes with a matching leather golf club bag, just what every monsignor needs under his Christmas tree.

There’s a little-known open secret in the Vatican gardens, a few paces behind St. Peter’s Basilica and tucked inside the Vatican’s old train station: a sprawling, three-story tax-free department store that rivals any airport duty free or military PX, stocking everything from Church’s custom grade shoes ((EURO)483 a pair) to Baume et Mercier watches (ladies (EURO)1,585, men’s Capeland (EURO)5,000).

But don’t get too excited. There’s a hitch, however. It’s not open to the public, only to Vatican citizens, employees and their dependents, diplomats accredited to the Holy See and (unofficially) their lucky friends who, after stocking up on holiday must-haves, proceed to the checkout with their Vatican connection and the ID card that entitles them to shop there.

To be sure, Rome is no stranger to tax-free shopping. Embassies, nearby military bases and the U.N. food agencies all have commissaries for their employees, where imports of everything from American ice cream to French wine can be had minus the 21 percent sales tax included in list prices in Italy.

The Vatican has that and more, given that it’s its own sovereign state — the world’s smallest — operating in central Rome. At 44 hectares (110 acres), the Vatican city state is the physical home of the Holy See: the pope and governing structure and administration of the Catholic Church.

Vatican Owns High End Department Store That Sells Luxury Items

Pope Benedict XVI receives the Roman Curia for the annual Christmas greetings at the Clementina Hall on December 21, 2012 in Vatican City, Vatican. Credit: Vatican Pool via Getty Images

The Vatican Museum, with its main draw the Sistine Chapel, is the main profit-making enterprise of the Vatican city state, bringing in (EURO)91.3 million in revenue last year alone. But other smaller entrepreneurial endeavors boost the Vatican’s coffers as well, including the department store, the tax-free gas station, the stamp and coin collecting office, the Vatican pharmacy and its supermarket.

And in these days of austerity, their profits and bottom line are ever more important to the Vatican.

The Vatican is entitled to run such tax-free enterprises inside its walls based on the Lateran Treaty, the 1929 pact that regularized and regulates the Vatican’s relations with Italy. But those regulations also limit the Vatican’s customer base, lest all of Rome descend on the supermarket to stock up on Gordon’s Gin ((EURO)8.50 a liter compared to the (EURO)15 it can run in liquor stores) or Montecristo No. 3 Cuban cigars (box of 25 (EURO)84 ($110.95) compared to $164.95 on BestCigarPrices.com ). About 4,700 people are employed by the Holy See and the Vatican city state; the Vatican’s diplomatic corps — the Holy See has relations with 175 countries — adds another chunk to the customer base.

Few people outside Rome know the department store exists – there’s no evidence of it on any Vatican website, no photos of its wares, no advertising outside the Vatican walls. Those who do know it exists seem to want to pretend it doesn’t since the high-end luxury items on sale aren’t necessarily in tune with either the sobriety or the salaries of the Vatican rank-and-file.

Photo Credit: AP

In fact, on a recent Thursday morning, nary a collar nor religious habit was in sight as ordinary lay folk milled around the spacious store during December’s “extraordinary opening hours” — extended to accommodate bargain-hunting Christmas shoppers who were rewarded with a wine tasting in the central atrium and piles of Brooks Brothers non-iron shirts and Burbury backpacks to choose from.

“More than the prices, it’s the material,” said Luciano, a bulky Roman who refused to give his last name as he shopped for an overcoat with his wife and an obliging Vatican friend waiting at checkout. “This one I don’t like — I look like a priest,” he muttered as he put the navy blue trench coat back on a hangar.

Cardinal Edmund Szoka, the American who sought to bring some order into the Vatican’s finances as head of the Vatican city state, is credited with having made the department store what it is today, moving it into the Vatican’s underused train station, a miniature version of Washington’s Union station with a sweeping double staircase and glass-front window that frames the dome of St. Peter’s a few meters (yards) away.

Szoka said he moved it from the basement of the Vatican government building to the train station for more space, since the station wasn’t used anymore for passengers and provided the perfect, airy open space that a shop of its kind would require.

“Our principal motivation in changing the train station building into a department store was mainly for the convenience of our employees, as well as for those who could come into the Vatican and shop there,” he said in an email from his home in Michigan. “Naturally, we expected a profit, but that was not the primary motivation.”

Szoka retired in 2006, well before the global economic crisis hit. The current leadership of the “Governorato” as the city state administration is called, recently asked all department heads to come up with cost-saving or profit-making initiatives to help the Vatican get through the tough times.

“Any good administrator wants to save what can be saved,” said Monsignor Giuseppe Sciacca, the governorato’s No. 2. “It seems obvious, necessary.”

The Philatelic and Numismatic Office, for example, recently started selling a special limited-edition stamp to help pay for the (EURO)14 million restoration of the Bernini colonnade in St. Peter’s Square after corporate sponsorship dried up amid the recession.

Vatican Radio announced in July it would be saving “hundreds of thousands of euros” in energy costs by stopping short -and -medium-wave broadcasts to Europe and the Americas, using other technologies instead.

Perhaps even more than the department store, the Vatican supermarket is a much-sought after perk for Vatican employees, and a boost to the Vatican’s bottom line. And at Christmastime, it is as jammed as the department store, with lines snaking through the store and cars taking up valuable parking spaces inside Vatican City as shoppers pile their carts high with panettone, the traditional Italian Christmas cake which is the di riguer gift for Italian holiday parties. Panettone can run (EURO)25 a pop at Roman bakeries; in the Vatican supermarket, a high-end brand runs almost half that.

Pope Benedict XVI receives the Roman Curia for the annual Christmas greetings at the Clementina Hall on December 21, 2012 in Vatican City, Vatican. Credit: Getty Images Europe

“The Nutella is just better here,” said Maria Grazia Mancini, a Rome municipal worker who was doing a major pre-Christmas shop with her father, a Vatican employee. “The products here are for export — the same brands but for export, so it’s better quality.”

While Sciacca is only too pleased to see the Vatican saving money where it can be saved and making it where it can be made, he was adamant that there are no plans to expand the customer base of the Vatican’s little-known discount stores. Accords with Italy don’t allow it.

“We shouldn’t. And we can’t,” he said.

He spoke on the sidelines of the presentation of the Vatican’s 2012 nativity scene, being unveiled Monday night and donated for the first time. The Vatican happily accepted the donated creche from the Italian region of Basilicata after its (EURO)550 million Christmas setup in 2009 was exposed earlier this year during the scandal over leaked Vatican documents.

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Comments (127)

Winedude
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:41pm
I’m not Catholic and could care less about the “royal jewels” owned by the Catholic church. What does bother me, mostly because it cost me (and everyone else) a lot of money is the religious exemption on paying any taxes. Organized religions are nothing more than a business operated for the benefit of the leaders of those organizations, generously funded by those in agreement. As a business, it should be taxed as such for both income and property taxes. How much money would local, state and federal governments get if the tax revenues of these organized religions weren’t classified as 501(c)3 non-profits? How much money would be donated if the folks making the donations couldn’t write off the donation to a charitable organization? Inquiring minds want to know…

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- godlovinmom
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 2:08pm
  Tell ya what…I would much rather the churches control those revenues than our government….that way its given to people actually in need…unlike this gimme generation our government is raising now…my opinion only :0)
  
  Report this comment
- Buddynoel
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 5:14pm
  Supreme Court has ruled that money is speech. So taxing the proceeds of the church would mean attempting to tax religious speech. Why do people take their constitutional rights so casual nowadays?
  
  Report this comment
- abgh
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 5:16pm
  Please consider all the unfortunate people who are helped daily by these churches and the people in them. And please define organized religion for me.
  
  Report this comment
- Spitfire1938
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:12pm
  So… Dude, why do you think our muslim president is directing a full-on frontal attack against Christian’s and in particular Roman Catholics? He’s trying to do just what you suggest! If he succeeds virtually ALL Christian Charities, Hospitals, Churches, plus Synagogues and their related activities will be bankrupted! Gone!!!!
  My guess is that’s your goal as well!
  BTW: You left the “H” out of wine….
  
  Report this comment
- Warpspeedpetey
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:30pm
  This argument is so intellectually dishonest as to be little more than Christaphobic hate behind a veneer of “fairness”. It is not true that churches are operated as profit centers to benefit the leadership of the Church. Taxing the church only moves money for the poor from the church to the government. We can distribute funds to the poor through very low paid religious or we can do it through very expensive government employees. You actually save money by outsourcing redistribution of wealth to the Church. You wouldn’t be suppressing the Church as you hope. No amount of concentrated effort can do that, ask the Romans, the Russians and the Chinese. Romans even tried to torture us to death publicly. We have been here for 2000 years. There is nothing you can do about it. No action you can take, no meme that you can promote. Now that contraception and abortion keep the secular birthrate below the replacement rate, we see that Darwin is ruthless to the sexually amoral. This is the last gasp of the progressives, in a few more generations, you won’t even exist. Why don’t you just lay back and enjoy the hedonistic pleasures our society has given license and stop trying to fight what you cannot over come? Why waste valuable time you could be experiencing pleasure in a pointless struggle against the inevitable?
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:41pm
  @SPITFIRE…..”directing a full-on frontal attack against Christian’s and in particular Roman Catholics”
  
  All governments are going to turn on all religion under the lead of the UN which is being given more and more power as time goes on. NWO
  The woman “Babylon the Great” (false religion) the mother of harlots (Revelation 17:4,5) The ten horns and the wild beast (nations or kingdoms) which are often represented by beast. The dragon (Satan) which gave its power to the beast. Revelation 13:2 “The waters means people and crowds and nations and tongues. (Revelation 17:15) The ten horns and the wild beast will hate the harlot and destroy her. (Revelation17:16) For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, even to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God have been accomplished. And the woman (Catholic Church) whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth. (Vatican city) (Revelation 17:17,18) That will be the beginning……
  
  Report this comment
- Chuck Stein
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 12:16am
  @ Spitfire1938: “BTW: You left the “H” out of wine…. ”
  Loved it.
  
  Report this comment
- Max jones
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:30am
  SYSTEM WHICH MUST BE EMPLOYED WITH WIDOWS AND METHODS OF DISPOSING OF THEIR PROPERTY.
  
  1. It will be necessary to inspire her to continue to persevere in her devotion and the exercise of good works and of disposition, in not permitting a week to pass, to give away some part of her overplus, in honor of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Virgin and of the Saint she has chosen for her patron; giving this to the poor of the Society or for the ornamenting of its churches, until she has absolutely disposed of the first fruits of her property as in other times did the Egyptians.
  
  2. When the widows, the more generally to practice their alms, must be given to know with perseverance, their liberality in favor of the Society; and they are to be assured that they are participants in all the merits of the same, and of the particular indulgences of the Provincial; and if they are persons of much consideration, of the General of the Order.
  
  3. The widows who having made vows of chastity, it will be necessary for them to renew them twice per annum, conforming to the custom that we have established; but permitting them notwithstanding, that day some honest freedom from restraint by our fathers.
  
  4. They must be frequently visited, treating them agreeably; referring them to spiritual and diverting histories, conformable to the character and inclination of each one.
  
  5. But that they may not abate, we must not use too much rigor with them in the confessional; that it may not be, that they
  
  Report this comment
- Max jones
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:00am
  Church of Rome has been aggressively anti-bible for over a thousand years….In Europe having a complete bible was a death sentence…..little has changed. The bible, especially the prophecies expose the Roman church as the Whore of Babylon. All Catholics are in danger of apostasy. I feel sorry for them. Led astray by the very people they believe in for spiritual guidance.
  
  Report this comment
- by faith
  Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:59am
  Max is ignorant
  
  Report this comment
godlovinmom
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:40pm
Did you know………..
That the Vatican used to worship the head of john the baptist
That the Vatican is not Christ’s church
That December 25th is no more Jesus’s birthday than it is the sun god Rah’s
If one didn’t know better…one would think that the vatican and or roman catholism is that seven hilled city with the “lady” drinking the abominations of all the kings…that revelations talks about.
mmmmmmm……

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- godlovinmom
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:47pm
  BTW…religion is man made…therefore all fall short…just so you know…not just “picking” on catholism…and yes alot of christian churches do “good things”…that’s because of good people…except for westboro baptist…have NO IDEA where they are coming from….LOL
  
  Report this comment
- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 3:01pm
  That’s what I call a mean, vicious, god loving mom! Full of hate for Christ’ church. Shame on you!
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 4:24pm
  John,
  
  The Catholic Church is corrupted to the core. It always has. Just a little detail: Do you know about the huge collection of idol figures, statues of deities, etc (Thousands) that are kept into the basement of the Vatican? Do you know how God hates idolatry? There is huge information on The Bible regarding idolatry and what you must do about it, but the Vatican is keeping under the House of God the largest collection of these objects know by the humanity. Can you tell me what do you think about that? This is just an example of the things done by that church. And I was raised Catholic, in a Catholic country, with Catholic family….
- abgh
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 5:18pm
  Professor, please give me the link to confirm this information you are posting.
  
  Report this comment
- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 5:33pm
  GBTVFAN_NON_AMERICAN_OVERSEAS,
  Idolatry? You are so anti-Catholic, anti-Jesus and out of control in your post you, also, should be ashamed of yourself. You hate what you don’t understand and speak like a bigot! Then you try to quote from a Catholic book.
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:21pm
  I don´t remember the original link, but you can surely start your search from this link. The description there is very general, but the museum is filled with the idols found by missions around the world…..
  http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/Monuments/The_Vatican_Museums/Missionary_Ethnological_Museum.htm
  
  John,
  How full of love your post. What I found MYSELF is that Catholics worship more the church than Jesus or God. That is a fact. I’ve seen it all my life. The knowledge of the Bible is very poor among Catholics in general, and you have a very long history of crimes committed by the CC to check it out. The more I read my Bible, the more I don´t want to be related with the CC.
  If you read carefully, I’m not talking about our Lord Jesus Christ, but of a corrupted HUMAN INSTITUTION, that among other things, embraced all the sins of the Pharisees. I’m talking about the institution, not about the Catholics, because I love them as my bothers. I’m talking about the current wolves inside the Church.
  
  As a person of faith, I don´t have ANY image of foreign idols in my house. It doesn’t matter if it is a beautiful statue from Egypt or Apollo’s beautiful statue. They were and are insults to MY GOD, so I don´t see them as “art” or a nice item from another culture. You can search through my house and you won’t find even one. The Man worshiped those gods instead of the real GOD, so they are not welcomed in my house, because in this house we worship the real and
  
  Report this comment
- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:27pm
  GBTVFAN_NON_AMERICAN_OVERSEAS,
  Your faith is the faith that you have in yourself and in the idol, (picture) you have in you wallet! You are one of the “Many” in John 6:66
  
  Report this comment
- GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:42pm
  The second part of my answer was lost….sorry! (This is not the second part)
  
  Obviously English is not my native language, but you obviously can’t read yours. Read my point, and believe what you want. I know what I believe, and I believe in Jesus Christ, His Father and The Holy Spirit. They, and only They, have my worship, not any other Bible character, angel, deity, idol, human being or institution. Besides, I don´t carry ANY image of my Lord in my wallet because I have Him in my heart all the time.
  
  You are not my enemy, and I don´t want to change your beliefs. Believe what you want. I was pointing out just one fact about the CC, and I won´t continue arguing with you based on that. Believe what you want, so do I….
  
  Report this comment
- Spitfire1938
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:34pm
  Golly GODLOVINMOM & GBTVFAN, there’s also a rumor they keep the world’s largest collection of erotic/porographic Art in their basement. Wow! The Vatican is, and always has been, run by flawed humans in desperate need of forgiveness and redemption. My guess is most of them NEVER make the cut. In fact… looking around, I’d say few of ‘us’ make the cut either. Satan is paring the Catholic Church down to it’s essence…RIGHT NOW! The power of Christ’s message of salvation, I’m sure you’ve noticed, gets irresistibly stronger as satan, with increasing dismay, peals away more and more layers of The Churches ‘weaknesses’; only to inevitably expose, and be defeated by, the “BLAZING TRUTH” at Her ‘righteous’ core!
  
  Report this comment
- Chuck Stein
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:03am
  “Can’t we all just get along?”
  – Rodney King
  
  Report this comment
- Max jones
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:39am
  Godlovinmom….Right on mom……I agree that “religion” is NOT the Love of God, but the love of man’s traditions……and the Roman church is NOT Christian, but the biggest ‘fake out’ in history.
  
  Report this comment
- Max jones
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:52am
  Roman church is a cult led by mere men pretending to holiness, and in the pope, a man who professes to be the actuality of Christ on earth……BLASPHEMY!!!! Whore of Babylon….Ba’al worshipers.
  
  Report this comment
- godlovinmom
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:05pm
  Why is it…that when you say truthful things…you are ALWAYS called hateful…bunch of ear tickling is all you guys want…how’s that for Godlovin…jeez people…the truth will set you free…and for the person who asked where I get my info..its called history books…LOL…the main history book being the bible…also..if interested…the two babylons, by alexander hislop, is a good read…regarding catholism :0)
  
  Report this comment
- AuthenticOne
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:55pm
  @MaxJones – what a biased screed you spew! Your hate of the Catholic Church, and therefore me saddens me. You feel sorry for me? On the contrary, I feel sorry for you.
  
  Ask any anti-Catholic for their impression on what Catholics believe and you will get their ignorant bias and make it your own. Why don’t you ask a practicing Catholic (not those that are CINOs, that is Catholics in name only) what they believe? Afraid that they won’t corroborate your beliefs about Catholics?
  
  Report this comment
- AuthenticOne
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:55pm
  For the record, a Catholic worships God , and God alone. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That is it. Not Mary, not the head of John the Baptist, just God. And for all those who claim I am wrong about Mary – remember – ask a PRACTICING, KNOWLEDGEABLE Catholic – NOT someone who will, through their ignorance of Catholic teaching and their bias, deliver their warped and untrue view of Catholic belief. Catholics do not equate praying to someone to worshiping that person (with the exception being when praying to God). That is where other Christians confuse the beliefs of Catholics with their own. This could go on forever, but in a nutshell, Catholics believe Mary is in heaven (our goal as well, eh?). Being in heaven, Mary is close to her Son, Jesus. When we pray to Mary (or anyone else deemed to be in heaven – and I mean anyone, i.e., your grandparent, etc.), we believe she listens and can pass on our intentions to God. Sounds silly you say? Do you ever ask anyone here on earth to pray for you or for someone you know that is in pain/suffering/distress? Why do you ask them? Strength in numbers. You can pray to God alone (so can Catholics). Catholics can pray to others in heaven to intercede for them to the final intercessor, Jesus.
  
  I am praying for you Max. And for GodLovinMom as well. Have a Merry Christmas
  
  Report this comment
- godlovinmom
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 3:38pm
  There is only one mediator between us and God our Father that is Christ Jesus…not mary, not the pope…I appreciate those prayers though!…just so you know…I WAS a catholic….organized religion is a man made thing…therefore ALL will fall short!…Let’s look at this christmas thing from a different view…let’s say Jesus was standing next to the pope…the day he decided to mix heathenism with our Saviour’s birth…I beleive Jesus said…you want to do what?????
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:06pm
  @AUTHENTIC…………….”When we pray to Mary (or anyone else deemed to be in heaven – and I mean anyone, i.e., your grandparent, etc.), we believe she listens and can pass on our intentions to God. Sounds silly you say?
  ———————————————————————————————–
  Yes silly………..Jesus gave the model pray “The Lord’s prayer or the Our Father” in Matthew 6:9 but before that in verse 7 Jesus says do not say the same thing over and over like the people of the nations who think they will get a hearing with their use of many words. Also the Bible teaches there is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5) Also praying to the dead is detestable to God. (Deuteronomy 18:11,12) Also the Bible states in Ecclesiastes 9:5 “For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all,……………..
  You think the soul is immortal. the Bible says the soul that is sinning will die. (Ezekiel 18:4)
  That was the first lie (Genesis 3:4) Satan said you will not die. Who do you believe God or Satan ?
  Genesis 2:7 says when God created the man “the man came to be a living soul” You are a soul you don’t have a soul. so “for dust you are and dust you will return” Gen. 3:19
  Jesus said “Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out……….(John 5:28)
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:19pm
  @AUTHENTIC………………The Bible teaches there will be a ressurection so you will just have to go to Hellen Wait………. LOL …..Hell = the greek word” Hades” and the hebrew word “Sheol” or the common grave for mankind.
  
  Report this comment
- AuthenticOne
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:22pm
  @GLM – “There is only one mediator between us and God our Father that is Christ Jesus…not mary, not the pope.” Hey, we agree!
  
  You might be confusing mediator with intercessor. When I pray for you to God directly, I am being an intercessor on your behalf – directly to the one mediator. Nothing wrong with that. When I pray to Mary (or, say to any other saint, and/or e.g., your grandmother, whom I assume is in heaven), I am asking them to be an intercessors as well. They ALSO take our prayers to the one mediator. And Catholics believe they are effective asking for their prayers before God on our behalf.
  
  Oh, and maybe Jesus said to the Pope “Great idea replacing that heathen festival with a day to remember my Father’s act of bringing me to exist in flesh with humankind for my mission as a single, complete, and final sacrifice for all.”
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:22pm
  sorry “resurrection”
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:26pm
  that’s “resurrection”
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:41pm
  @AUTHENTIC………………..”You might be confusing mediator with intercessor.”
  
  They both mean the same thing.
  
  Report this comment
- AuthenticOne
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 4:52pm
  Hey Green.
  
  Praying to the dead (those in hell) would be detestable to me too. When I pray to the saints to intercede to the one mediator on your behalf (or mine), I am praying to the living. Their bodies may be corpses, but THEIR souls are alive in heaven (dead souls don’t exist in heaven). And if you don’t like the words “PRAY TO” then replace it with “ASK THE.” Serves the same purpose and doesn’t get involved in Prot. vs. Cat. lignuistic twister. All my Christian brethren, we share SO much in common compared to what little separates us. I just wish to educate those that misrepresent my faith. Ask a knowledgable Catholic what Catholics believe.
  
  I pray that when my judgment is at hand, that I will be counted amongst the sheep and not the goats. I hope that when that time comes, I will be able to quote Paul’s words as my own: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).
  
  Some Catholics do read and study their bibles too!
  
  I’m done hijacking this thread. You can have the last word. Peace be with you and have a very merry Christmas.
  
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- godlovinmom
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 5:10pm
  Greenwood…Amen brother :0)
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:12pm
  @AUTHENTIC……..”Their bodies may be corpses, but THEIR souls are alive ”
  
  Psalms 146:4 “His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
  In that day his thoughts do perish.
  Unless you are that of the anointed, holy ones, or saints as you say which would be the(little flock) or 144,000 who will rule with Christ as kings and priest in heaven, then you must wait for the resurrection. Revelation 20:6 ………they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and will rule as kings with him for the thousand years. Revelation 20:5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. 1 Corinthians 15:24 Next, the end, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, ……………….
  The (other sheep) or the great crowd which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues……….Revelation 7:4-9
  The great crowd will have everlasting life on a paradise earth. (the meek will inherit the earth)
  Psalms 37:29 The righteous themselves will possess the earth,
  And they will reside forever upon it.
  
  Report this comment
- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:28pm
  @AUTHENTIC…………..You should scroll down to @GR8FUL1JIM you are both the same. I feel like I’m repeating myself. Show me where the Bible says you have an immortal soul. That was the first lie which the serpent (Satan) said to Eve, ” You positively will not die” When God said they would die. He didn’t tell them their “soul” would be punished forever in hellfire. That would have been an important point don’t you think. He said you will positively die. Who do you believe God or Satan ?
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:39pm
  @AUTHENTIC………..”remember – ask a PRACTICING, KNOWLEDGEABLE Catholic
  emember – ask a PRACTICING, KNOWLEDGEABLE Catholic
  
  I have yet to find
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:56pm
  sorry…….@AUTHENTIC………..”remember – ask a PRACTICING, KNOWLEDGEABLE Catholic
  
  As I was trying to say I have yet to find one who hasn’t been blinded (John 12:40) “He has blinded their eyes and he has made their hearts hard, that they should not see with their eyes and get the thought with their hearts………….like the Pharisees they loved the glory of men.
  
  Have a nice time sitting around the winter solstice tree and celebrating Sol Invictus, or Mithra because it is not Jesus’ birthday not that the early Christians even celabrated birthdays. If you want to stay in false religion it’s up to you. Then have a Happy Saturnalia. {:-)
  
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- AuthenticOne
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:39pm
  Yawn…
  
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TommyGuns
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:38pm
Really? This story is newsworthy? You pick on the Vatican for their duty free shop? Must be a very slow day at The Blaze. I mean, there must be some scandal, somewhere, that involves some godawful liberal that you could waste time and space on.

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repairsea
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:34pm
I have no issue with this. Did you know the Catholic church created hospitals, adoptions and other social services? It was a concept originating from an order of monks and nuns. Feeding and caring for the poor takes money. The Mormons request 10 percent of your income to help their organizations. They have a wonderful employment training programs and this takes money. I have spent money at Passion Plays to support their causes. Every church I have attended passes the plate. There are bake sales, car washes, bingo, thrift stores and more to raise money. Why is this judged as such a horrific thing? Many people go to the Vatican daily are willing to spend their money. Again, I have no issue with this. What I do have issue with is the constant attack of our one true God and people who choose to worship him.

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john654
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:26pm
Some of the protestants here don’t know that Jesus IS God, Amazing!

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faithfullistener
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:54pm
Who really cares??????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 3:01pm
  Jesus.
  
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Karama
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:48pm
This reminds me of the first season episode of Black Adder when he gets appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury. He and his cronies are standing around asking how they can make a bit of cash off this job and Baldric pulls out a case and suggests they sell fake holy relics. (Season 1 Episode 3 The Archbishop)

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hi
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:26pm
Remember when Jesus turned the tables upside down when people were selling goods at the Temple?

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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:43pm
  Not personally, but I have read about it.
  
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- hi
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:16pm
  A guy with last name “Stein” read the Gospels? Awesome! Did you convert? Matthew would be most appealing bc he shows the Jewish folks how Jesus fulfilled many Prophesies in iThe Torah.
  
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- lukerw
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:25pm
  NO… but there is a Story of Christ over-turning the Tables of Money Exchangers… whom charged Interest (something for Nothing) upon Tokens to be used at the Temple… for a Scrifice. Of course, as the Ultimate & Last (completing the Sacrifice of Isaac) Scrifice… Christ opposed all Sacrifice!
  
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- Chuck Stein
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:57pm
  @ HI
  “Chuck Stein” is not my real name — it’s a pun (Chuck = “toss” & stein = German for “stone”)
  As for Jesus fulfilling prophesies from the Torah, Mark 15:34 is very profound for me. On the cross, Jesus says: “Eloi,Eloi, lama sabachthani” (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?)
  To every Jew who heard Him, the Savior was testifying as to who He is. How? Every Jew in that day knew the psalms of David by heart. Read Psalm 22. How does it begin? With the words “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Psalm 22 describes the crucifixion in considerable detail. Example: verse 18 “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.”
  
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weareskrewed
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:10pm
Another example of the hypocrisy of religion; its all about the money. I’ll bet a lot of people didn’t realize the Vatican is its own little country. Has a larger gdp than most countries in the world. Also, guess who didn’t get touched during WW 2 ? What suckers people are sending their money to these organizations. I’m not just talking about the Catholic religion; I mean any organization that passes around a basket or puts up a telephone number for you to call in to donate. If you want to believe in a higher being; go right ahead; that’s your right and I fully support you on that…. but sending them your hard earned money… schmucks

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- thomasJefferson27
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:24pm
  This is a disgusting article. How low for Glenn Beck and ex-Catholic to pick the Christmas season to attack the Catholic Church…Is this what Mormons do ????? Just like as their missionaries go out and preach about Christ pretending to be Catholics…and only at the last reveal themselves to be MORMONs…very deceptive…very dishonest….Just like JOseph Smith and his FAKE bible
  
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- repairsea
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:01pm
  At the Nuhemberg trails is was estimated over 42M Christians were killed. Many were Roman Catholics. There were Catholics killed for standing up for atrocities including priests and clergy. Throughout American history Catholics have been discriminated against and hated. There is an interesting article regarding Notre Dame and the KKK that you can search for and there is also the book regarding this. I bring this up because it relevant to the current propaganda attacks on Catholics today. Pray for discernment to help you resolve your issues with religion.
  
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- freeberty
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:24pm
  @Sea
  
  Are you sure you want to pull out the persecution card on this article? Maybe wait for a story where your vision of everything righteous isn’t sitting on a gold throne surrounded by sycophants just waiting to change his old man’s diaper.
  
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- repairsea
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:42pm
  freeberty- I don’t focus on the gold throne. I interpret this article as “Here is another reason to attack the one true God and those who believe in him”.
  
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ares338
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:13am
The holy father is no more holy than the crack wh0re on the street corner. All people are holy …Or not holy as the case may be. I am not an atheist but I have nothing but contempt for religion. Act as a man or woman with free will and not how dogma dictates. Merry Christmas and stay safe!

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- Commander8080
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 11:29am
  I need to disagree with you on this. We are all God children, creates in his image. However, there are those who walk with God on a daily basis. Saint Peter who Christ gave the keys to his church on earth was one and that has passed from one pope to the next through divine succession.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:36pm
  COMMANDER…………Peter ………..has passed from one pope to the next through divine succession.
  
  Formosus (891-896) Nine months after his death his body was disinterred from the papal crypt and arraigned for trial before a ‘cadaveric’ council, at which Stephen [the new pope] presided. The deceased pope was accused of inordinate ambition for the papal office and all his acts declared invalid. The corpse was stripped of pontifical robes; the fingers of the right hand were amputated.”
  New Catholic Encyclopedia.
  Stephen VI Within a few months [of the trial of Formosus] a violent reaction ended the pontificate of pope Stephen ; he was deprived of the pontifical insignia, imprisioned, and strangled.
  New Catholic Encyclopedia
  Benedict IX (1032-44;1045 1047-48) He was nortorious selling the papacy to his godfather and then reclaiming office twice
  New Catholic Encyclopedia
  
  These are just a few of the many examples why that’s not true
  
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freeberty
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:57am
Is that actually a gold throne, that the nearly dead old man is sitting on?

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- Karama
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:57pm
  It very well could be. For being as poor as they claim they have a lot of wealth stored up in relics like all those gold, silver, and gem encrusted crosses they have in a museum there in the Vatican City. Not to mention the buildings themselves with all the paintings alone, no telling how much all that would be worth if you tried to put a price tag on it.
  
  http://www.romeandvaticanpass.com/rome-attractions/index.html?aid=65&gclid=CLu60KOMsbQCFao7MgodA1oA4g
  
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Glennda
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:52am
They’ve been selling godless gewgaws for 2,000 years. Why is anyone surprised?

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TimothyDuerr
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:51am
I meant @Greenwood in my last post. Not @Mapache.

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lel2007
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:46am
Somewhat interesting but certainly not newsworthy.

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Megatron
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:42am
I am finished with the Blaze. Gave it a try or two after the first time I said I was through.

First an article making fun of a cracked-out women from Portland giving an interview, then articles making fun of seemingly handicapped people (screaming weather reporter), and the recurring articles that serve no other purpose than to start up comments on the Catholic Church (usually by the same author).

Glenn- Your credibility is being tarnished by the Blaze and the writers here. A lot of these articles are foolish, and I feel they detract from all of the intelligent things you do ( radio, charity work, conferences, restoring love, faith, hope…).

If someone’s leg is rotting and dying, they will have to get it cut off to save the body. An amputation is in order Glenn- you are so much better than the Blaze.

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john654
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:19am
If this is news worthy, I would like Glen Beck to respond. Really, Glen, do ever read your headlines? Are the founding fathers more important than the early church fathers? I’m more than willing to have a debate with you. I would like to invite you back to the Holy Catholic Church. The family of Jesus, (Jesus is God). There is no need to allow your organization, The Blaze, to throw out cheap shots at Gods Church and try to discredit His family at Christmas time. Come on Glen, really, what’s up?

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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:54am
  (Jesus is God) ????? …….Jesus is God’s son
  John 14 :28 ……….I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.
  John chapter 17 Jesus is praying to his Father and he says “Your Word is Truth” John 17:17 Jesus never said or claimed to be God.
  Philippians 2:6 (Jesus) who,although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God.
  The KJV says never considered it robbery but some people think that translation means he didn’t see anything wrong with being equal.
  Philippians 2:8,9 says that because he humbled himself and was obedient to death God exalted him to a superior position and gave him a name above every [other] name. That is other than YHVY the tetragrammaton for Jehovah God.
  
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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:14am
I find it strange how a pope or Mary both just lost humans in need of a savior like All of us, get pictures and prayers. Jesus is Lord. Not idols, or people. Jesus is Lord. To God be the glory. Forever & ever.

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- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:27am
  You have absolutely no idea what the Catholic Church teaches! You are as ignorant as a rock. Obedient Catholics are not self-proclaimed saved protestant, all you have to do is, Christians. Catholics are Bible Christians.
  
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RIGHTWINGHATEMACHINE
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:59am
Nevermind all of the poor people in the world that the christian church says it goes out of its way to help.

Christian philosophy 101: Do as we say. Not as we do.

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- OMBrandon
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:40am
  Ignorant wretch! The church- the body of faithful believers- has done more Christian charity in this world than you can possibly understand. Get off your bigoted high horse and into your local Catholic Church and you may cure yourself of such stupidly arrogant and ignorant ideas.
  
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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:04pm
  Way to ignore all facts of Catholic charitable giving.
  
  I guess Catholic is the new black.
  
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Gr8ful1jim
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:58am
What great pictures of Pope Benedict too. You always try to portray the Holy Father in the worst ways. It is sad that the Blaze needs to gleam any stories they can from Vatican City to try and stir up their noted Bigotry against the Catholic Church. It is written that the Church will undergo tremendous persecution, but will prevail. The Catholic Church is not new to persecution. I am just waiting for the clueless to start chiming in, with their lack of knowledge about the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Every person who enjoys the benefits of Western Civilization are beholden to her.

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- john654
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:08am
  Exactly! I really wonder if Glen knows what the Blaze is doing?
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:21am
  GR8FUL………….”The Catholic Church is not new to persecution. ”
  
  That is true they persecuted millions during the “Catholic Inquisition” They tortured and killed many who translated, read, or even owned a Bible while claiming to be shepherds of God’s flock. Their leaders showed hatred for anyone who tried to encourage Bible reading or anyone who exposed their unscpriptural practices. People like John Hus and Bible translator William Tyndale who were tortured and burned at the stake.Yes the Catholic Church is not new to persecution.
  
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- Gr8ful1jim
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 12:44pm
  A GREENWOOD-Like I said…I can’t wait for the clueless to start chiming in.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:11pm
  GR8FUL…….It would seem that you are the one who is CLUELESS
  
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- Gr8ful1jim
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 7:05am
  @ Greenwood…The entire Inquisition of 500 years, caused about 6,000 deaths. These atrocities are completely inexcusable. These numbers are however, a far cry from the those used in the popular press and by people who are always looking to destroy the Church. The Church was very critical of translations of the Bible. God’s word should not be misinterpreted. Most people at the time were illiterate. That is why such great attention and extravagance was used in the building of Churches. The buildings themselves visually told the scriptures. The perversion of the protestant Bible translations (to justify letting people do as they please instead of following God’s will) was absolutely enforced according to the punishment of the times. Barbaric by today’s standards for sure. Glad to set the record straight.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:52am
  @GR8…….”The Church was very critical of translations of the Bible. God’s word should not be misinterpreted. Most people at the time were illiterate.”
  
  You can spin it any way you want but the people wanted God’s word in their own language not latin. If anyone misinterpreted the Bible it was the Catholic Church. The idea that God is a Trinity comes from ancient Babylon, Egypt and the Greek philosophers like Plato. Then you have infant baptism, hell fire the immortal soul, purgatory, limbo and idolatry. The mixing of pagan customs and festivals like Easter which is the actual name of the fertility goddess. Christmas on Dec.25th the birth date of Mithra the sun god or as the Romans refered Sol Invictus. Praying to Mary and others when the Bible clearly states there is only one mediator between God and man. The saying of the rosary when Jesus clearly says in Matthew 6:7 do not say the same thing over and over just as the people of the nations, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words.The removal of God’s name from all text. The 2008 Catholic bishops conferrences the Vatican said the name of God is neither to be used or pronounced. The divine name from the tetragrammoton YHWY (Jehovah) is to be rendered by the equivalent Adonai,Kyrios, Lord. They have minimized, profaned and effaced God’s name. Jesus said (John 17:26 ) I have made your name known to them” The abuse scandals that went on for decades and once again (1 Corinthians 5:13 states
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 9:01am
  1 Corinthians 5:13 while God judges those outside? “Remove the wicked [man] from among yourselves.”
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 9:14am
  @GR8………..and finally Jim the Catholic Church has been like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
  
  Acts 20:28-30 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed YOU overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son].29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among YOU and will not treat the flock with tenderness,30 and from among YOU yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.
  
  Yes oppressive wolves speaking twisted things
  
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- Gr8ful1jim
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 9:43am
  It is truly amazing at how much you think you know about the Catholic Church and obvious how little you actually understand about the Catholic Church. Go on believing all of the contrived protestant drivel about the Catholic Church. Your opinion is not going to change the minds of true Catholics and we will move along just nicely while you continue to spread your hatred and bigotry. One thing about the Catholic Church is we always move forward. We will always care for the less fortunate. The Catholic Church will continue to care for the needy. Build schools and hospitals and provide food and medicine for countless millions worldwide while you stew in your juices about unfortunate happenings in the middle ages that have no bearing on the world today. You can continue to think your drivel makes a difference, but us Catholics will continue our mission worldwide while you are sitting idly by wishing you had a fraction of the resources the Church has to help those in need. If I could, I’d send you a crying towel for your Christmas stocking. God Bless and Merry Christmas.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 10:38am
  @GR8FULOFIT…………….The Catholic Church will continue ……………maybe you will need the crying towel.
  Revelation 18: 7,8 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent give her torment and mourning. For in her heart she keeps saying, ‘I sit a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.’8That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong.
  Rev. 18:9 And the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her and lived in shameless luxury will weep and beat themselves in grief over her, when they look at the smoke from the burning of her,10 while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and say, ‘Too bad, too bad, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!’
  
  Rev. 18: 21 And a strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: “Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again.
  
  Rev. 18:4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if YOU do not want to share with her in her sins, and if YOU do not want to receive part of her plagues.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 10:49am
  @GR8FUL………………”It is truly amazing at how much you think you know about the Catholic Church and obvious how little you actually understand about the Catholic Church”
  
  Give me a specific example of where I’m wrong in something that I said.
  
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- Gr8ful1jim
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 1:29pm
  First off Catholics don’t say the Rosary, they Pray the Rosary in Glory to God and in doing so meditate on the most significant areas of Scripture. You truly do not grasp the Trinity. Catholics do not practice idolatry as protestants would have you believe. You have no concepts of the 7 Sacraments or you would not mention infant Baptism. The inquisition did not kill millions of people… Do I need to go on showing how foolish you look? It is fun though :-)
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:31pm
  GR8FUL…….. go on showing how foolish YOU look?”
  Whatever……..praying the Rosary…………..I’m aware of the “Catholic Church” I went to St. Raphael’s grammar school in the 60′s and was married in a “Catholic Church” in the 80′s after learning the TRUTH on what the Bible teaches I have renounced my faith in that false teaching. The use of images in worship is idolatry. Praying to Mary who is not the mother of God is not a biblical practice. Jesus was the son of God not God. There is only one mediator between God and man and that is Jesus. John chapter 17 Jesus is praying to his Father, if he was God was he talking to himself ? To say I don’t understand the “Trinity” you’re right because it doesn’t make any sense and is not a teaching of the Bible. Jesus said nobody knows the day and the hour neither the angels of the heavens nor the son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36) no mention of the Holy spirit which is God’s active force and no mention of the Mayans either for that matter in case you believe that too.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 2:52pm
  GR8FUL……..”You have no concepts of the 7 Sacraments or you would not mention infant Baptism.”
  
  Baptism……………You have that backwards too. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit. First you make disciples teaching them all the things that Jesus commanded then baptize. It is a public dedication of your faith much like an oath which an infant can not do. I know you are going to say confirmation but show me where that is a biblical practice. You think baptism is like a good luck charm or a free ticket to heaven. Instead of the Catholic dogma show me from the Bible where I’m wrong. Like I said false teachings and traditions of men.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 3:21pm
  Nothing I say is going to change your thinking so as (Matthew 10:14) says….”Wherever anyone does not take you in or listen to your words, on going out of that house or that city shake the dust off your feet.” ………….I don’t even want to mention the next verse but have a nice time sitting around the winter solstice tree and celebrating Sol Invictus, or Mithra because it is not Jesus’ birthday not that the early Christians even celabrated birthdays. If you want to stay in “Babylon the GR8″, the empire of false religion it’s up to you. Then have a Happy Saturnalia. {:-)
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:32pm
  @GR8FUL……..”The inquisition did not kill millions of people”
  
  I don’t think I said millions I said many, but now that you mentioned it. It probably was closer to millions. Was that a Freudian slip ? That’s who the crying towel should be for all those poor innocent victims. That’s where they got much of their wealth. Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill. The one about graven images forget that one not important. The one about using His name in vain or in a worthless way. You don’t have to worry because you don’t use it anyway. God, LORD, Father, Almighty and Adonia are not names but titles. The Divine name appears nearly 7,000 times in the original text in the form of the tetragrammaton YHWY (Jehovah) but that’s not important right ? Psalms 83:18
  
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MMSands
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:44am
There’s always the membership catch, isn’t there. Oh well.

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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:36pm
  DOUGHMAN……….I am righteous by faith alone, no works, words or rituals required.
  
  Faith without works is dead James 2:26
  
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john654
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:31am
If the Vatican really wanted to make money, they could make TBN and the rest of the man made, feel good, (give me a hundred and you’ll get back a thousand) protestant churches look like lemon-aid stands. The Catholic is the one true church, the family of God.

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- MMSands
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:45am
  Yup.
  
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- DougHuffman
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:46am
  Except for the Churches of the Reformation, born in battle tried and true. I am righteous by faith alone, no works, words or rituals required.
  
  Good people ought to be armed as they will, with wits and Guns and the Truth. God Bless Bitter Clingers, damn know-nothings, progressives.
  
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- OMBrandon
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:47am
  If you believe that you are righteous by faith alone and not by acts or “actions” you are either not living as a Christian or are ignorant to the bible. If you are to live as a person saved by Jesus Christ, you are called to follow his teachings which include actions by which you are to live your life and conduct yourself. God Bless you and may the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.
  
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- iampraying4u
  Posted on December 24, 2012 at 8:04pm
  The roman catholic church is the best man made religion in the world
  
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TimothyDuerr
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:13am
I am a loyal fan of Glenn Beck, and I say SO WHAT! What has this to do with anything that is news worthy. Most Catholics do not say anything about other religions nor do they berate Mormons. I voted for Mitt Romney and I am a Catholic. What does this article have to prove? I am also a retired military officer and a Christian, do I need to have permission to shop in the PX from the Blaze? I say to you, join the military/ Do the the job and then you can have some of the benefits from serving – just a thought…

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:26am
  I hope that Glenn Beck soon either disassociates from DaBlasé other than TV or takes control of it. Presently, I believe that the failing economy is impacting pockets here and each division is scratching to keep staff. These authorized bloggers are a hoot, worse as his representatives.
  
  They dangled basic TV as an enticement. I investigated considered, and when I was ready to purchase a subscription, WHOOPS, no basic but only too expensive plus. Too bad, I like to read.
  
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- sta
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:58am
  Doughuffman- I dropped my cable and got a Roku. Now I pay 18.00 a month for The Blaze and Netflix.
  It’s a WHOLE lot better than the 60.00 a month I was paying for Directv and I watch what I want, when I want. Dad is into Monk, I love Doctor Who and the kids love Merilin.
  I see Glenn every evening and the cost is less than basic cable around here.
  
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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:00am
Well where else is Santa Claus going to stash the presents? They don’t fit in the closet? You guys in the media HAVE TO RUIN EVERYTHING? ??? WHY? WHY? Ughh, I’m writing a letter to Santa Claus and pray he forgives you?

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skimmer57
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:23am
Do they carry any of those swell $129.99 pairs of Glenn Beck blue jeans?

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- blanco5
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:47am
  You seem to thiink you’re clever by repeating that statement in other posts. Have you asked yourself WHY they have to charge that much? No? That would require too much thinking on your part, so keep buying your clothes made from overseas.
  
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- RIGHTWINGHATEMACHINE
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:01am
  LOL….Beck preaches about being fiscally conservative and then thinks he can sell jeans for that amount of money. That just goes to show that the only thing that Beck cares about is money in his pockets.
  
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- The_Cabrito_Goat
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 1:08pm
  Beck’s jeans are made in America, not a sweat shop in New Dehli. THAT is why they are so expensive.
  
  When will somebody just delete this troll?
  
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raderby
Posted on December 23, 2012 at 6:46am
gee whiz.. .reminds me of the US Senate and HofR. Perks for the “special” people – let the rest eat cake.

And some wonder why Christianity is under attack. Vow of poverty and all that – huh? We need Jesus to go there and toss over a few of the kiosks……

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- Mapache
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 7:01am
  Your anti-Catholic bigotry is showing. The Vatican as a sovereign state sets its own duties on imported goods and the administrator of the store establishes the prices based upon the stores goals. What does it matter to you? Your taxes are not subsidizing it nor you are not deprived of anything. Also, only religious orders take the vow of poverty.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:41am
  Revelation 18:3 For because of the wine of the anger of her fornication all the nations have fallen [victim], and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the traveling merchants of the earth became rich due to the power of her shameless luxury.”
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 8:54am
  @MAPACHE…………………Did the Pope take the vow of poverty? Not by the looks of that picture of him on that golden throne. (the Vicar of Christ) Vicar = a person who acts in place of another
  
  Revelation 18:11 Also, the traveling merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her, because there is no one to buy their full stock anymore,12 a full stock of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet; and everything in scented wood and every sort of ivory object and every sort of object out of most precious wood and of copper and of iron and of marble;13 also cinnamon and Indian spice and incense and perfumed oil and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and horses and coaches and slaves and human souls.
  
  Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share in her sins…………………………
  
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- sta
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:11am
  Greenwood= The Pope DID take a vow of poverty, and he owns NONE of what he has. I do. I’m Catholic. I’ve paid for every bit of that finery as have my ancestors. We like it. We want to have that finery as the Jews had the Arc of the Covenant. If the Temple in Jerusalem could be richly ordained in order to glorify God and to inspire human worship, the Vatican can be richly ordained for the same purposes.
  Sorry you don’t like it, but we do. And we praise God in the finery he asks for.
  Oh and may I add, we also finance Catholic Hospitals and Homeless shelters to care for those less fortunate. Do away with us and the government will take it’s place. Guess who funds that? You do.
  
  You’re welcome.
  
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- TimothyDuerr
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 9:47am
  @MAPACHE – You need to take all of the Scripture in total context. Not just in pieces to make some stupid argument against another faith. Leave it alone. You’re showing your ignorance. Christians need to stop attacking other Christians. It is even worse when you use holy Scripture to do it. Give me a break and speak about something that is truly important. Maybe like the dismantling of our Constitutional freedoms.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:05am
  @STA………”The Pope DID take a vow of poverty, and he owns NONE of what he has.”
  
  You’re right he won’t be able to take it with him.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 11:01am
  Timothy………Have you ever noticed that the Catholic Church when unable to explain something always calls it a “mystery” And upon her forehead was written a name, a mystery.They call themselves mother church and a woman but she is no bride but a harlot “Babylon the Great” who was drunk with blood of the holy ones and with the witnesses of Jesus. Rev.17:4-6
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 11:27am
  @STA………………”If the Temple in Jerusalem could be richly ordained in order to glorify God”
  
  But they did not always glorify God. That’s why it was destroyed twice once in 607 bce. and then finally in 70 ce. after they rejected His son. To them the temple was just a “talisman” something to bring good luck. They mixed Idolatry and pagan worship much like the “Church” today.
  
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- Greenwood
  Posted on December 23, 2012 at 10:00pm
  TIMOTHY……..”speak about something that is truly important. Maybe like the dismantling of our Constitutional freedoms.”
  
  What is more important the things of this world or the Kingdom of God?
  Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be brought to ruin.And the kingdom itself will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these, and it itself will stand to times indefinite;
  
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