rant · moment 6 of 13
Torture, Complicity, and the Catholic Church's Wealth vs Action
from Matt Lauer of The Vatican · #75
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
6 minRiffing on societal willingness to ignore war crimes and torture, then pivoting to how the extremely wealthy Catholic Church fails to use its resources to address abuse scandals or poverty despite being a massive property owner.
- 21:10Tim argues that Americans collectively roll over on horrible government actions once they become public knowledge.
- 21:50Everyone involved in entertainment and media has a personal investment in the mythology and potential outcomes of what they're producing.
- 22:29The country functions similarly to show business, with mutually enforced delusions about people in power and artificially subsidized lives.
- 23:18Tim doesn't dismiss people who say the country has abandoned God—he acknowledges they're avoiding the weight of slavery, imperial wars, and national violence throughout history.
- 24:00The foundational packaging of the country is show business at the highest level, with government simply invoking God's name for legitimacy.
- 24:34The Catholic Church's relationship to government mirrors the royal family's role: lending quasi-mystical authority and collective buy-in to the state.
- 25:03Despite holding billions in assets and being one of the world's largest property owners, the Catholic Church doesn't meaningfully use its wealth to change policy on issues like sexual assault.
- 25:57Tim proposes doing a deep investigation into the Catholic Church's inner workings, the Vatican Bank, and the College of Cardinals' actual efforts on poverty and social issues.
- 26:22Christopher Hitchens wrote about Mother Teresa in a book called "The Missionary Position," critiquing her record and actual impact on alleviating poverty.
Catholic ChurchKarl RoveIraq WarComedy CentralBill GatesVatican BankRuss BakerChristopher HitchensAbu GhraibMother Teresa