Jorge Mario Bergoglio -a k a Pope Francis- said (in so many words): Is a shame the rich blame the poor for being poor; they should help the poor to obtain a better kind of life. Hey, Argentinian Robin Hood...why, then, don't you start by taking the Vatican apart and sell all the gold and the jewels and provide a better life for the people?
No, the Pope didn't still the South American gold.......the Spanish conquerors did...and several centuries before the Pope was born
The Spanish Conquerors were supported by the Spanish crown which was controlled by the Catholic church. They not only stole the wealth of countries but forced Cathloism on their people. Interesting that the majority of the gold in the Vatican came from the conquest of indigenous people.
By the time America "was discovered" (S XV) the Catholic church had all the gold you can imagine. Did the Spanish conquerors impose Catholicism on the Natives? Indeed they did but the gold they stole went to the Spanish crown and to build the largest empire ever... The crown paid a tribute to the church nut not what you are thinking....and about half of the gold and precious stones never made to Europe but became the possession of ignorant conquerors like Pizarro (Perú) and Cortés (Mexico) and others less known but equally bas...ds. Anyway, Bergoglio is Argentinian.......hardly a conqueror.