Economic Downturn Hits the Vatican
It seems that no one is immune to the economic downtown these days — not even the Pope.
While we can’t confirm that Pope Benedict XVI is busy clipping coupons and hoarding pennies these days, his staff might be. Or at least they’re likely to be a lot more budget conscious than in the past.
Word from the Vatican is that those who work there (both the laity — non-religious personnel — and priests) have begun to use time cards to clock in and out of work.
So that’s where we are now: Priests and religious aids who work at the Vatican have been issued swipe cards. Some will say that it’s a good thing to promote the meritocracy of the Catholic Church: You know, reward those who work longer hours and do their jobs more effectively than others. That’s certainly good business, but do the words “business” and “Vatican” seem like they should go together?
Maybe in these tough economic times, nothing should surprise us anymore.
