Where some Irish money has gone to - the Vatican

hiorta

Donations from struggling Irish businessmen (but not towards Pope’s trip to Britain)

Irish builders and bankers who have reigned over a catastrophic virtual collapse in the country’s economy donated nearly €9m to the Vatican last year. Among those named as donors were property developers whose loans have been taken over by the state-run National Assets Management Agency (NAMA). Property developers Derek Quinlan, Treasury Holdings' Johnny Ronan, Ballymore Properties' Sean Mulryan and Paddy McKillen, one of the so called "Anglo 10" all made significant donations.

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums published recently reveals that these troubled property developers provided ‘financial support’ for the restoration of the historic Pauline Chapel in the Vatican Museum.

Fellow donors included former Anglo Irish bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick and the controversial former boss of Irish Nationwide Michael Fingleton. Other donors included Digicel owner Denis O’Brien and William Bollinger, the Irish co-founder of the €3bn Egerton Capital Hedge Fund.

The donors were given special medallions after a private mass in the Pauline chapel, celebrated by Cardinal Lajolo last July. Solid gold ‘Michelangelo'’ medallions were given to donors who had given more than $1m, with silver ‘Raphael’ medallions for donors of $500,000 plus. ‘Bramante’ medals were presented to donors of $250,000 or more. A marble plaque listing the names of all 26 donors, including the Irish builders and bankers, was unveiled in the chapel.

No mention was made about what medals would be awarded to the Irish taxpayers who have had to bail out all the businesses in which these people were involved over the past year

http://www.secularism.org.uk/vatican-gets-huge-donations-from.html

fontanalis

hiorta wrote: »

Donations from struggling Irish businessmen (but not towards Pope’s trip to Britain)

Irish builders and bankers who have reigned over a catastrophic virtual collapse in the country’s economy donated nearly €9m to the Vatican last year. Among those named as donors were property developers whose loans have been taken over by the state-run National Assets Management Agency (NAMA). Property developers Derek Quinlan, Treasury Holdings' Johnny Ronan, Ballymore Properties' Sean Mulryan and Paddy McKillen, one of the so called "Anglo 10" all made significant donations.

The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums published recently reveals that these troubled property developers provided ‘financial support’ for the restoration of the historic Pauline Chapel in the Vatican Museum.

Fellow donors included former Anglo Irish bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick and the controversial former boss of Irish Nationwide Michael Fingleton. Other donors included Digicel owner Denis O’Brien and William Bollinger, the Irish co-founder of the €3bn Egerton Capital Hedge Fund.

The donors were given special medallions after a private mass in the Pauline chapel, celebrated by Cardinal Lajolo last July. Solid gold ‘Michelangelo'’ medallions were given to donors who had given more than $1m, with silver ‘Raphael’ medallions for donors of $500,000 plus. ‘Bramante’ medals were presented to donors of $250,000 or more. A marble plaque listing the names of all 26 donors, including the Irish builders and bankers, was unveiled in the chapel.

No mention was made about what medals would be awarded to the Irish taxpayers who have had to bail out all the businesses in which these people were involved over the past year

http://www.secularism.org.uk/vatican-gets-huge-donations-from.html

From one bunch of chancers to another! What's that about the camel and eye of a needle again?

Liam Byrne

Trying to get into heaven via the back door, maybe ?

SLUSK

I think it is accepted in the Catholic faith that you can buy your way into heaven.

dunsandin

I reckon the Ninja Turtle medallions must be the bomb - you could show them to St Peter for sure fire admission through the pearly gates - unless the bouncers are former spetznaz and kick your saint-status buying a$$ back to the hot grill it deserves. Vatican/RC Church Inc. rolls on, its a great business, but religion and business should never mix. Tommy Tiernan had it right - our preachers should be mad lads on an ass, eating wasps, not Corporate types in a new corolla questioning why are we all picking on the church for abusing children - sure wasn't everybody at it? Well I Bl00dy wasn't, and I wont be giving them another penny. Disgraceful, much like the history of the church after the first three days.

Mr Trade In

Name and Shame these people and nail the lists of them to the door of the Dail,you might even get you own religion out of it.

dunsandin

you can only shame people who are capable of shame, these guys would just call it "Publicity"

Scofflaw

It's a good sign, in a sense. It suggests that the developers remain good for the loans they owe.

cordially,
Scofflaw

dunsandin

I find the hardest people to get money out of are the ones that are good for it - the hard pressed usually pay, the very rich like to hold on to it. Any loophole in a crisis. Scoffy, I have to admire your optimism, it radiates through your every post, unlike my own cynical nature. A breath of fresh air indeed. Nothing like a head full of fresh air, its a true blessing.

Japer

SLUSK wrote: »

I think it is accepted in the Catholic faith that you can buy your way into heaven.

Never mind buying your way in to Morocco with Miss World.:D.

Seth Brundle

SLUSK wrote: »

I think it is accepted in the Catholic faith that you can buy your way into heaven.

The Catholic Church know something that Jesus didn't?

Jesus wrote:

...I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Hotblack Desiato

kbannon wrote: »

The Catholic Church know something that Jesus didn't?

What's some carpenter's apprentice guy from 2000 years ago got to do with a very successful worldwide business with hundreds of thousands of employees, vast assets, and global influence? I mean, come on

Hotblack Desiato

hiorta wrote: »

The donors were given special medallions after a private mass in the Pauline chapel, celebrated by Cardinal Lajolo last July. Solid gold ‘Michelangelo'’ medallions were given to donors who had given more than $1m, with silver ‘Raphael’ medallions for donors of $500,000 plus. ‘Bramante’ medals were presented to donors of $250,000 or more. A marble plaque listing the names of all 26 donors, including the Irish builders and bankers, was unveiled in the chapel.

This is sickening, and I don't mean because of who the guys receiving these medals are - but it is sickening that an organisation which preaches about 'morality' and 'social justice' and whatnot is courting wealthy donors and handing out gold and silver medals for helping the Pope with his art collection and property portfolio :mad:

But as the events of the last couple of weeks have shown, just when you think the hypocrisy can't get any worse, the Roman Catholic Church always has a surprise up its sleeve.