Martin Luther Against the Bankers and the Renaissance Balance Sheet

The last time the west was at a cultural crossroads of sorts, like the present, was around the year 1500.

Whether it be a global Spreadsheet of today or the ledgers of the Medicis that dominated international banking of the day, the difference between things material and or spiritual remain the same I think.

Thesis 50 - Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter’s church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep. ~~ Martin Luther, 95 Theses

History has a way of being told sometimes without all the details sometimes being disclosed.

Vatican Struggle for Power Amidst Benedict’s Growing Senility

The Bogias - Pope Alexander VI, his mistresses and bastard children

Life imitates Art.  The Borgias (Alexander VI) against the Della Roveres (Julius II) are two camps fighting for power in the current Showtime Historic Drama (Soap Opera).  It is hard to identify which groups or how many exist in the present struggle vying for power and the power to sign checks as Benedict XVI’s reign wanes into extreme old age and senility. 

The microcosm of America with siblings struggling to get hold of mom or dad’s unearned equity before the parent croaks is being mirrored on the macrocosm of the world stage and the struggle for power and wealth within the present leaderless Vatican.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/28/us-vatican-butler-idUSBRE84R0B520120528

The scandal exploded last week when within a few days the pope's butler was arrested for leaking documents, the head of the Vatican's own bank was abruptly dismissed and a book was published alleging conspiracies among the cardinals or "princes of the Church".

Newspapers, quoting insiders who had themselves leaked documents, said the arrested butler was merely a scapegoat doing the bidding of more powerful figures in the scandal, which has been dubbed "Vatileaks".

Documents passed to Italian journalists accuse Vatican insiders of cronyism and corruption in contracts with Italian companies. La Stampa daily quoted one of the alleged leakers as saying the goal was to help the pope root out corruption.

On Saturday, Paolo Gabriele, 46, Pope Benedict's personal butler, was formally charged with stealing confidential papal documents. But leakers quoted by La Stampa, La Repubblica and other media said the leaking plot went much wider.

"There are leakers among the cardinals but the Secretariat of State could not say that, so they arrested the servant, Paolo, who was only delivering letters on behalf of others," La Repubblica quoted one alleged whistleblower as saying.

The Secretariat of State is run by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the pope's powerful right-hand man, and the scandal appears to involve a power struggle between his allies and enemies, reminiscent of Renaissance conspiracies in the Vatican.

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