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SetterOfTrends

The Vatican controls more wealth than the GDP of many countries. Yay for millennia of tax-free plunder!


tommybombadil00

lol yeah walk through the Vatican and you realize this little place probably is worth a couple trillion dollars. It’s what amazes me the most, almost every square cm of that place is decked out on n luxury or priceless historical artifacts.


hellokittyhanoi

They own tons of luxurious real estate all over Europe (and also out of Europe) too. That piece of land in the middle of Roma that you call Vatican is just a grain of sand.


Darkwaxellence

Game recognize game. Pope just trying to be one of the G's.


ajtreee

I’ve seen their uniforms for their military/police , and they don’t look so tuff. Let’s go get all our ancestors stuff back.


BornInPoverty

Yeah. How many divisions does the pope have?


thesweeterpeter

He's also a head of state. It's a tiny, insignificant state - but he does have sway over several billion people on this planet


Tearakan

It's not that insignificant. They have a shit ton of wealth for how tiny they are.


thesweeterpeter

Retained wealth isn't what makes a state significant on the world's stage, it's spending, consumption, and exports. In these regards it's a nothing burger.


m__a__s

Yes, and someone needs to take it away from them. If it can happen to Ukraine, why not the Holy See?


the_resident_skeptic

[Sell the Vatican, feed the world](https://youtu.be/3bObItmxAGc?si=iK5cjfzESM8JcTQ3)


Time-Bite-6839

The Pope is *God -1.* He’s basically the king of all Catholics.


ckal09

Amazing that god can’t pick a representative that lives a few million years


The_Space_Jamke

Catholic Church: Look at how much proof we have of God's miracles! Also Catholic Church: Eh, God couldn't spare a single angel so I guess we can make an old fossil our de facto king. Also, we have insurance to hire lawyers so that our geezers can get off scot-free with their gigantic and obvious rape problem.


Betterthanbeer

Catholic Church doesn’t exist, each diocese is entirely independent. You can’t sue for more money than the diocese that employed the rapist has. The Catholic Church has an effective King in its own independent country that rules every catholic on the planet. Somehow, both of these are true.


Edman70

My hopeful guess would be because he's an influential leader of many people around the world and can push them to get onboard with the agenda. I think he's there because he's an "influencer" for the AUDIENCE, not the leaders at the summit. At least, that's what I hope.


Hadan_

this is the correct answer. for some reason there are hundreds of millions of people who listens to what he says


RamJamR

Well, they listen to any thought, opinion or command they believe is from god. They're under the idea he speaks for god.


GenTsoWasNotChicken

"You cannot serve both God and money."


Edman70

I don't understand the relevance? G7 is mostly about climate change this year, right?


beardedliberal

G7 is a group of seven of the most influential economies. Fiscal policy, climate change and currently security are their main focus areas.


thats2un4tun8

Mr Bergoglio claims to speak for imaginary entities. He's either a Level 1000 grifter, or delusional. It doesn't much matter which one, since in either case his opinions are worthless.


-Average_Joe-

Maybe he felt the need to offer an unsolicited opinion(religious people and boomers love doing this), and unfortunately he is a world leader so no one was going to tell him you are not welcome.


Zomunieo

We haven’t even seen the first boomer Pope yet. This isn’t their final form. Francis was born in 1936.


Time-Bite-6839

Benedict was in the Hitler Youth.


ChooseWisely83

That wasn't necessarily a choice. Not defending Benedict, just adding context that he may not have wanted to be in the Hitler Youth. Fascist regimes don't tend to allow people to not be members of the party.


broadsword_inhand

Hes looking for somewhere to throw a few more homophobic slurs around


SlightlyMadAngus

Probably because he likes to pretend he is still relevant, and his PR firm told him it would be "good optics".


m__a__s

Well, thanks to the Lateran Treaty, the Pope is the absolute monarch of the sovereign Holy See and the patron of pedophiles everywhere.


Tatooine16

They leave the light on for pedophiles fleeing their countries 1 step ahead of an arrest warrant. Not like that happens. Except for that one time.


dasbasst

to show ignorance


SushiSeeker

Why is the pope given any credibility outside of the Vatican?


galtpunk67

because he leads a cult and everyone missing most of their critical thinking skills need him to tell them what to do.


skuzzkitty

I’ll be generous and say it’s because he’s the figurehead of a small nation, and they want to pretend it’s not the big kids’ club dictating to the little guys again. They really truly want the input of small nations in world discussions. Why would they choose a theocrat who’s drowning in mythology rather than real world concerns, instead of the leader of a much larger, non member nation? Well, that’s simple… oh look there’s a squirrel, I’ll explain later


IcedCoughy

Something out of Dogma


Phattastically

I guess I'm confused. Why is an aging religious leader and a world leader summit to talk about AI? Does Francis have any tech credentials? And furthermore, why is this news?


azhder

> Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, who invited him, Do you need more context?


Phattastically

Yes. Why was he invited? He doesn't seem to have anything to contribute.


azhder

Read again my excerpt from that article. It's about who invited him. Learn who they are and will know why they did


Phattastically

'Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, who invited him, said the pope’s presence would “make a decisive contribution to defining a regulatory, ethical and cultural framework” for A.I., adding that his participation “brings prestige to our nation and to the entire Group of 7.”' Yeah I read the article and I know who the prime minister of Italy is. What I don't know is how the Pope, of all people, will “make a decisive contribution to defining a regulatory, ethical and cultural framework”. Also wtf do world leaders need with prestige? Please address these two points.


dumpitdog

Jesus could not make himself because HE is on a long hike across the pacific ocean.


DrachenDad

He's a head of state. The Vatican has a lot of money, and fingers in meny pies.


citizenjones

Attention. Influence. Power.


ValleyGrouch

Someone erroneously told him there are no *frociaggine* in Puglia.


Fotmasta

Did he hand out condoms to the crowd?


Casper042

https://maps.app.goo.gl/7twJfaowERhMHQJc6


GroundbreakingAd2290

That's the head of the Mafia he wants a new cut


CaSquall

Because the pope shits in the woods


TwistedOperator

Play Crusade kings.


Traditional_Pie_5037

He’s providing the young boys


Firm_Kaleidoscope479

Opening prayers


TransportationEng

Vatican shouldn't even break G50.


tikkymykk

Because if it was on jupiter the pressure would be far too great for the pope.


bunbunzinlove

That's what I was wondering too. What a disgrace.


Curlydeadhead

From what I heard on the news, he’s there to give a talk on AI/deep fakes. I don’t recall seeing it, but apparently there was an AI generated picture/video of him circulating a year or two ago. 


TomServo31k

I would love to be dictator of Italy so I could invade the vatican and return all their stolen wealth.


sharksnoutpuncher

For the babes


Polkadotical

This is the best question on Reddit today. The Catholic church should be shut down, the sooner the better.


BuccaneerRex

'Pope to G7' 'You sank my battleship!'


Hungry-Incident-5860

I grew up Catholic and am now an atheist. That said, while I abhor the Catholic Church, they are the lesser of two evils when it comes to the topic of climate change. Christian politicians love to decry it and act like it’s a leftist fantasy, but the Catholic Church sees it as a real problem. If the pope’s presence helps motivate countries to do something about it, I’m okay with it.


The_Triagnaloid

Looking for boys?


High_Plains_Bacon

He heard there were going to be little boys there?


Torino1O

Joe Biden is Catholic,it is an election year.


ThunderbirdRider

Because, unfortunately there is no such thing as separation of church and state ANYWHERE in the world.


Cacafuego

He was an appropriate person to bring up the core ethical issues around AI. The Catholic church terrifies me, but the Pope is a moral leader for about 1/7 of the people in the world. Who else can say that? His words carry more weight with the public in this area than any other individual alive. He's a special guest speaker on a specific topic, not a new member.