Tag Archives: Pope

Nov 12 2013

The one family you’ve probably never heard of… who’ve influenced your life the most

English: The heraldic achievement of the House...

The House of Medici

 

The Medici Family of Italy is probably something you’ve never heard of, unless you’re involved in high finance, politics, or the academic sides of each… but they’ve likely influenced your life more than you’ll ever know.

The Medici family rose to prominence during the 14th century in Florence, getting very wealthy off the textile and later, further gathering power in the Kingdom’s local governments. At the time, their seemingly unstoppable rise continued onward and upward, to the point where they founded the Medici Bank, the largest and most notable bank of the 15th Century of Italy.

Why is this so important? The Medici family not only produced FOUR Catholic popes (Popes Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV and Leo XI) — but it also made massive contributions to accounting and finance methodology — including the advent of the dual-book accounting system and overall improvements of the general ledger. Many of these improvements are still used by public and management accountants even today!

Coat of Arms of the Medici Family. based on Ar...

Coat of Arms of the Medici Family

 

Arguably, the Medici’s were the most wealthy family in Europe, and among the most powerful — effecting policy, religion and even banking methodology that’s still in use today. Next time you balance your checkbook, take a minute, and think about how the whole system of finance works, and where it came from… and look into it! You’d be surprised how the simple methods we use today to balance our sheets were revolutionary just a few hundred years ago…

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Mar 30 2013

Can Pope Francis save the Roman Catholic Church?

popesThere’s nobody arguing the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is in major trouble.  It’s arguably what tore Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI apart and ravaged him in stress so much the past eight years of his life.

Between corruption, internal bickering in the Vatican, and the east-west divide on issues such as contraception — not to mention, the continually growing sex-abuse scandals that never seem to end; the biggest thought in my mind during Sede Vacante was ‘I don’t envy the new pope his upcoming tasks.’

For the first time in history, the world sees two Holy Fathers — the now Bishop of Rome Emeritus, Benedict XVI and his successor, the first Francis, named after Saint Francis of Assisi; which has definitely fit the former Cardinal Bergolio’s actions as supreme pontiff thus far.

Can the election of a jesuit pontiff who shuns many of the traditional papal symbols and stereotypes of office bring the Catholic Church the shot in the arm of change it needs?  Does he, with the wisdom of his predecessor, an arm’s length away within the Vatican; and his jesuit and Saint Francis’ roots give him the necessary tools to reform the Catholic church in it’s most turbulent days since the time of the Great Split?

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