Oh dear! Here we go again! " a few thousand euro to renovate a church in suburban or rural Ireland without the help from the Vatican's bajillions" and this is contrasted wth the huge amount spent by "the Vatican" in the United States. I find it bewildering that a professional wordsmith appears not to notice how language is loaded and the motivation involved. Of course he does and it is deliberate...
For "the Vatican" read "the Roman Church"...hmmm...just as bad....so instead read "Roman Catholiics" - no! Better still read "American Roman Catholics" - that expains why so much is spent in the US and how little in Ireland. Of course this would have no drama.
Each Parish is largely self-supporting but we do help each other within a small radius and contribue a small percentage of income to the diocese to which we belong. In turn each diocese contributes a small percentage to the Vatican; the upkeep runs into many millions obviously as there are many who work there who are not priests and Cardinals!
When people speak of the wealth of the Vatican, they are including the value placed on buildings, statuary, works of art, etc without taking into consideration who it is who places such values on objects in the first place...nor why they do it! Certainly not the Pontiff!
As for the Pope praying rather than put his hand in his pocket....hmmm. As I said the other day, we heard about Notre Dame when we were in church so guess what we did? No! We did not "Knee jerk" and have a whip round! And if you'd been able to pick the Pope's pocket, all you'd have got is his bus fare!!!
Sorry to do a gentle "explode" as I have done; but I was more than half expecting such foolish rubbish! Notre Dame de Paris is not simply a Roman Cathedral - it is the symbol of Paris and of France itself. Quite rightly, it was the President who first promised the rebuilding of the Cathedral. The Church here in the UK will contribute if necessary as we shall throughout the world. Most of the people of France are not Catholics but still hold that wonderful building in high esteem and need support too, in whatever form we feel appropriate.