Someone should ask the Pope the amount of compensation that he believes Musk is entitled to receive.

https://www.carscoops.com/2025/09/even-pope-leo-xiv-is-worried-about-musks-1-trillion-pay-package/

Patriot25 said:

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Did Jesus ever speak out publicly to complain that someone was being paid too much? I don't recall that he did. The point being that perhaps the supposed "Vicar of Christ" should preach Jesus's word instead of his own.

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I thought Jesus was pretty clear on his views regarding the very wealthy. Do you need your Bible to quote Jesus saying, "And the CEO of a company must not make more than $1 billion," before it becomes something to be concerned about?

kurt vonnegut said:

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Patriot25 said:

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Did Jesus ever speak out publicly to complain that someone was being paid too much? I don't recall that he did. The point being that perhaps the supposed "Vicar of Christ" should preach Jesus's word instead of his own.

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I think that if were to defend the pope on this topic in light of your point above, I would maybe build the case against the ultra-wealthy on the basis of apathy and general disregard of your fellow man. Does accumulating and then sitting on top of that high of a pile of money require massive greed and apathy toward the needy? Or can you own hundred of billions of dollars without being greedy? Do Jesus's words justify that amount of greed or unwillingness to help others when you clearly have the means?

If I had 400 billion dollars today, I would spend the next few years figuring out how to give away 399.95 billion of those dollars and then retire with 50 million dollars and spend the rest of my life trying to do something helpful or productive with that money. I think the majority of people are like this. The idea of being able to help millions of people and communities but only donating pennies . . . I think thats the part that is hard to defend.

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I agree with you.

Sapper Redux said:

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Patriot25 said:

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Did Jesus ever speak out publicly to complain that someone was being paid too much? I don't recall that he did. The point being that perhaps the supposed "Vicar of Christ" should preach Jesus's word instead of his own.

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I thought Jesus was pretty clear on his views regarding the very wealthy. Do you need your Bible to quote Jesus saying, "And the CEO of a company must not make more than $1 billion," before it becomes something to be concerned about?

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I think it's GOOD to speak out in general terms but the Pope called out Musk by name. Does the Pope want to be the Pope or does he want to be a worldly political figure?

KingofHazor said:

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Elon Musk thinks that the Catholic Church has way too much money and assets.

Vatican Owns Over 5,000 Properties Worldwide, It Reveals In First Disclosures On Its Real Estate Holdings

Cardinal Woolsey's palace, Hampton Palace:



Palaces of the Popes:

The Villas of The Papal Nobility Tuljak! Travel Blog

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It's not lost on me that Jesus lived very humbly while many prominent Catholic and Protestant Church officials live in opulent buildings.

I don't think Jesus had a wallet. As I recall he kept his coins in the mouth of a fish.

For those criticizing the Catholic Church and their "holdings" - some of these were given by the faithful through wills, some were works donated, some were commissioned by the faithful for the church- it's all a mixed bag of "holdings" that the Church now has to be a steward of and not some owner. Stewardship is the operative word here.

This is not the kind of thing Pope Leo should be focusing on

PabloSerna said:

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I don't think Jesus had a wallet. As I recall he kept his coins in the mouth of a fish.

For those criticizing the Catholic Church and their "holdings" - some of these were given by the faithful through wills, some were works donated, some were commissioned by the faithful for the church- it's all a mixed bag of "holdings" that the Church now has to be a steward of and not some owner. Stewardship is the operative word here.

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Lol. Stewardship for what?

Was Elmer Gantry a steward? Is Joel Osteen?

Yeah that's a lot of money, I don't have a problem with him making that much perse, but keeping that much would be sinful. In order to give a billion dollars to charity you have to make a billion dollars.

I own a manufacturing business, and If somehow my customers buy my products at such a level that amounts to $1,000,000,000,000 of net net profits, that's just a function of volume multiplied by profit; there's no moral component of that.

Yukon Cornelius said:

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1. Elon doesn't have that much in CASH like you suggest. It's mainly stock valuations.

2. Elon does deploy his capital to be productive like you herald yourself as you would do. Elon is one of the least materialistic billionaires.

Having money doesn't mean you're greedy.

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If you have a concern about the pope's singling out of Elon, I think I agree with you.

I've tried to keep Elon's name out of my posts because having a discussion about whether or not Elon is greedy cannot be done without the creeping in of pollical opinion. But, I think we can have a discussion in general terms about whether or not greed among the ultra wealthy is a problem.

Having money doesn't mean you are greedy. But, I would argue that many people with extreme wealth are greedy. Maybe not all. Our society loves to call people out for all manner of sin, but I feel like greed gets a pass. Maybe I'm wrong.

Some of those greedy capitalists use their capital to fund massive projects that could never get done by the government. Those projects would have been impossible if the capitalists and not allowed their capital to accumulate. The Rockefellers, for example, funded all of these (per ChatGPT):

1. Universities and Science Schools
The Rockefellers funded or heavily endowed at least ten major institutions of higher education and research, often establishing schools that reshaped entire fields:

• University of Chicago (1890s): Built largely with Rockefeller's funding; transformed into a leading research university.
• Rockefeller University (1901, NYC): First U.S. biomedical research institute, later produced 26 Nobel laureates.
• Spelman College (Atlanta): A historically Black women's college, continuously supported by the family.
• Columbia University (New York): Endowed programs in public health, medicine, and international affairs.
• Harvard School of Public Health (est. 1922 with Rockefeller funds).
• Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (1916, Rockefeller support).
• Yale University: Benefited from Rockefeller funding for medical and international studies.
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine: Substantial Rockefeller Foundation support.
• Peking Union Medical College (Beijing, 1921): Rockefeller Foundation built and staffed what was called "the Johns Hopkins of China."
• Hundreds of Medical Schools Worldwide: Rockefeller Foundation implemented reforms globally, reshaping medical education across Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

2. Public Health & Global Initiatives

• Hookworm Eradication (1910s1920s): Rockefeller Sanitary Commission virtually eliminated hookworm from the American South.
• Yellow Fever Research: Helped identify transmission by mosquitoes, laying groundwork for eradication campaigns.
• Malaria Control: Funded research and eradication programs worldwide.
• Birth of Public Health as a Discipline: Without Rockefeller money, schools of public health would likely not have developed when they did.

3. Colonial Williamsburg

• John D. Rockefeller Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller were the driving financial forces behind the massive restoration of Williamsburg, Virginia, in the 1920s30s.
• Over $60 million (in early 20th-century dollars) went into reconstructing buildings, restoring the colonial town, and creating what became a landmark in historical preservation.
• This project virtually invented large-scale historical tourism and inspired future restoration efforts nationwide.

4. Culture & the Arts

• Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was a founder; family money and art collections built its early strength.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art: Rockefeller donations supported expansion and acquisitions.
• Lincoln Center: Later Rockefeller generations gave heavily to this performing arts hub.

5. Conservation & National Parks

• Grand Teton, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Shenandoah, Yellowstone: Rockefeller Jr. bought and donated huge tracts of land.
• Hudson River Palisades & Jackson Hole: Preserved scenic and ecologically valuable landscapes.

6. International and Global Affairs

• United Nations Headquarters: Rockefeller family donated the land in Manhattan.
• Rockefeller Foundation grants helped establish international relations as an academic discipline.
• Scholarships and Fellowships: Thousands of students worldwide benefited from Rockefeller fellowships in medicine, science, and policy.

I think people fail to make the distinction between being greedy and earning what you're worth. Musk wouldn't have this much money if he wasn't worth it. Patrick Mahomes wouldn't get paid as much as he does if he wasn't worth it. Brad Pitt wouldn't be a wealthy as he is if he wasn't worth it. One of the defining characteristics of our capitalist economy is that people are able, in theory, to make what they are worth. Just because someone makes an insane amount doesn't mean they're greedy, it just means that they possess some skill or ability that very few others do, allowing them to command a high salary.
It's pure economics, which is why I find the pope's commentary completely unnecessary.

I think you don't have their perspective. And it's easy to say someone with a lot is greedy. But riddle me this. If you have several millions of dollars and want to be generous what do you do? You have a multitude of facets to consider. 1. Stewarding the wealth to the next generation. Which people may perceive such activities as greed but the persons heart might be wanting to pass it on and be wise with it. Many many people blow wealth. So someone NOT just giving it away isn't evidence of greed.

2. IF do give a lot a way who do you give it to? Not everyone can handle being given millions of dollars. And many institutions are beyond corrupted and don't stressed well. So if you're convicted to make sure it goes to a high moral place it can actually be challenging to find such places.

I think the heart issue is with those who judge people as greedy for having wealth. Talk is cheap. It's easy to say if you had XYZ you'd do XYZ. Scripture is clear we should not show partially to the rich or poor. And often times the rich are maligned for simply being rich. Being greedy is a heart issue, not a wealth issue. Plenty of greedy impoverished people too.

Final thought. We are held to our own standards of others. Most of the world is incredibly poor compared to middle class America. So if we harshly judge people's greediness based on arbitrary wealth thresholds one could make the case most of America is greedy. It's really none of our business what people do with their money. God didn't put a cap limit on anyone he just asks that we give cheerfully.

Well the difference is that Elon keeps all his money for himself and his family. The church on the other hand, Bishops cannot pass along those properties to their families after they die. Not saying there were certain families in the past (Medici of Florence comes to mind) that may have abused this- hopefully we have learned a thing or two since.

Why do you say that Elon keeps all of his money for himself and his family? You must have better insight than I do into his personal finances. And his life is yet to play out. He may end up giving much or all of it away.

Not trying to predict, just establish the difference between the ownership of wealth. We can only hope that people like Elon, blessed with incredible wealth, chooses to build a better world and invest in people. The church HAS this in their mission, when not done causes a great scandal.

So we are just supposed to hope and trust the most economically powerful man in the world is just, kind, and benevolent? Funny that we don't say the same about political or military leaders. In those cases we all see clearly that too much power for one person is a bad thing. Are we just as happy to let Soros have more power than anyone else?

Do you propose we steal from them to make them less wealthy?

Yukon Cornelius said:

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Do you propose we steal from them to make them less wealthy?

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Would we let a cartel grow and threaten the government because it would be mean to take it away? Would we let a dictator who oppressed people keep his power just because it would be mean to take it away? So guess what I think we should do to people with wealth who bribe the socks off our politicians?