New luxury home for incoming Cincinnati archbishop (Gospel, testimony, churches)

[aquila]

This was in the news recently, and I thought I'd put it out there for us to discuss.

The archdiocese of Cincinnati recently purchased a luxury home for the new incoming archbishop to reside in when he takes over the archdiocese later this year. The home is located in a high-income suburb east of the city. The price? Almost $470,000. (Keep in mind that is an expensive home in the Cincinnati area, where the cost of living is significantly cheaper than most other places in the U.S.) For the past 25+ years, the archbishop resided in a 3-room apartment above St. Louis Church downtown.

Read about it here: Archbishop gets new digs | Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati.Com

I'm not sure how to react to this, and I was curious to see what other Christians thought about it - yes, including Protestants and Catholics.

[carolina_guy]

I would have to say it wasn't a very wise decision especially with the economic crisis. But I guess I have mixed feelings about it. Do we know what the condition of the previous apartment was in? Did it need updates/repairs that could have cost a lot of money? Did they get a good deal on the new home where they could have a good return on resale? Did they pay cash or how are they funding the mortgage? Another question to ask would be about the market value. Would this home cost 1/2 a million dollars in North Carolina? Are property values generally higher in this part of Ohio than southern states? Would purchasing a $200k home placed him in an unsafe area full of crime? I suppose he lives alone being a priest (sorry if that's a poor assumption).

On one hand it does seem like an unnecessary perk especially with the economy. Also, how will it make the Catholics a part of the congregation (is that the right term?), especially those with even tighter budgets now, how would they feel about giving to the church with the priest (is that what he is?) living in such a fine home?

This really isn't my place to judge, and like I said, we may not have all the answers--yet anyway. If I had to say I had a problem with it at all, it would be because of the depression we're heading into. And maybe why such a large house for one individual under these conditions?

[DNick]

I think it is quite excessive. No need for the kind of house. Waste of money.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

I would have to say it wasn't a very wise decision especially with the economic crisis. But I guess I have mixed feelings about it.

Believe it or not, so do I. On one hand, I hear Catholics saying an archbishop should live in a home that reflects his position in the church, but I see nothing in the Bible or early church that showed the apostles living in such luxury. In fact, Jesus told the rich man to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. Plus, He also told a man who wanted to follow Him that foxes had dens and birds had nests, but He had no place to rest His head.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Do we know what the condition of the previous apartment was in? Did it need updates/repairs that could have cost a lot of money?

I don't honestly know what the condition of the apartment was, but I think it's irrelevant. He could have found a very nice 3BR apartment ANYWHERE in the Cincinnati area for less than $2500 a month (which, if you ask me, is still an exorbitant amount of money). The amount spent on the house could have put him in a much larger and VERY NICE apartment for many years.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Did they get a good deal on the new home where they could have a good return on resale?

Ehhhh. I think the house was appraised at one time for over $500K, so yeah you could say they got a deal on it. And who knows what the market will be like in the future as for whether they can sell it for a profit.

You can watch a video clip that shows the house here.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Did they pay cash or how are they funding the mortgage?

I imagine it was paid in full. I really don't know.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Another question to ask would be about the market value. Would this home cost 1/2 a million dollars in North Carolina?

Heck, I don't know. This is the house...in the middle of the picture with the half-circle driveway. You can scroll around the image to see the neighborhood.

What is real estate like in NC? Given the fact that the Cincinnati area is one of the cheapest places to live in the country, I would venture a guess that a comparable house in NC, particularly in Charlotte or close to the ocean, would run fora lot more...?

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Are property values generally higher in this part of Ohio than southern states?

Again, I don't know. See my previous response above.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

Would purchasing a $200k home placed him in an unsafe area full of crime?

Oh, heck no. The apartment where the previous archbishop lived...right in the heart of downtown...was more likely to see crime than anything in Anderson. In fact, there ARE 4BR homes just a few miles from this luxury home that are less than half-price of this one, and would have served the purpose just the same.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

I suppose he lives alone being a priest (sorry if that's a poor assumption).

He's the archbishop. He comes from a large family with a number of siblings and others, and that was one of the reasons for buying the large house. At the same time, he says he wants to be near the seminary so he can interact with the men studying to become priests. He wants to use the house for a "hospitality ministry", according to the archdiocese, as well as host church functions.

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

On one hand it does seem like an unnecessary perk especially with the economy. Also, how will it make the Catholics a part of the congregation (is that the right term?), especially those with even tighter budgets now, how would they feel about giving to the church with the priest (is that what he is?) living in such a fine home?

Some Catholics have said they are no longer going to give to the church. As I see it, this was a poor decision in light of the archdiocese's recent announcements that they were going to be cutting staff, closing parish churches, and asking people to pay more tuition for parochial schools. Plus, how does it come across to a poor parishioner who lives in a humble home that needs repairs? How does it make them feel to struggle to pay their bills and provide for themselves, particularly in this economy, when they see their leader living in such a luxurious home?

Originally Posted by carolina_guy

This really isn't my place to judge, and like I said, we may not have all the answers--yet anyway. If I had to say I had a problem with it at all, it would be because of the depression we're heading into. And maybe why such a large house for one individual under these conditions?

Aside from his large family....as I stated above, he says he wants to host church functions at the house, and run a hospitality ministry (whatever that means). But my question is: Where did the previous archbishop host church function?

Anyway, I'm just a little lost on this one.

[aquila]

I know we're not supposed to bump our own threads, but I'd really be interested in hearing more thoughts about this.

[little elmer]

I used to wear a double barreled sling shot for this type of thing, but as I've gotten older (and hopefully grown in understanding), I realize that they can't just put him in the middle of a subdivision somewhere with today's public domains - people would violate privacy and be all over him.

Is it right? No - very little of what we do right in society today is in keeping with the gospel, but that's just my opinion.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by little elmer

I used to wear a double barreled sling shot for this type of thing, but as I've gotten older (and hopefully grown in understanding), I realize that they can't just put him in the middle of a subdivision somewhere with today's public domains - people would violate privacy and be all over him.

Interesting point of view....I never thought about that. But then why doesn't each diocese/archdiocese built a local office that contains separate living quarters for the bishop/archbishop? The apartment above St. Louis Church may indeed be too small now, but why not simply add living quarters to another existing church?

[wilvan]

Why should we as true believers care about what the "Christian" churches are doing? They are of the World under Satan's influence and we must not have anything to do with them. The Bible said the True Church* (elect) is only a small flock... persecuted all through history.

__________________________
* Those who keep the 10 Commandments and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ.

[Morale Officer]

The Pittsburgh Dioscese just sold the mansion that the Bishop lived in and moved him into a small apartment. As a Catholic, I have mixed feelings about buying a house like that for some of the same reasons that others do. On one hand, why does he need a house that big? Why spend that much money? On the other hand, the house can be used for visiting as well as church functions. To those that are saying, "He doesn't need it," think about this: Do any of the pastors of the so called "Mega Churches" need houses like they have? How many of them make millions every year and keep millions for themselves?
As far as priests living alone, not all of them do. In the parishes that I have been to, only two priests live alone. Both because they are the only ones at their churches. At both the parish I am currently registered at and the one that I actually attend, there are several priests living in the rectory (the house beside the church).

[Oakback]

Originally Posted by Morale Officer

The Pittsburgh Dioscese just sold the mansion that the Bishop lived in and moved him into a small apartment. As a Catholic, I have mixed feelings about buying a house like that for some of the same reasons that others do. On one hand, why does he need a house that big? Why spend that much money? On the other hand, the house can be used for visiting as well as church functions. To those that are saying, "He doesn't need it," think about this: Do any of the pastors of the so called "Mega Churches" need houses like they have? How many of them make millions every year and keep millions for themselves?
As far as priests living alone, not all of them do. In the parishes that I have been to, only two priests live alone. Both because they are the only ones at their churches. At both the parish I am currently registered at and the one that I actually attend, there are several priests living in the rectory (the house beside the church).

So true.
I was recently reading John Paul's last will and testament.
He had no personal property to leave behind other than clothing, his writings etc.