Latest news with #OrderofStAugustine
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Pope Took a Vow of Poverty. He May Still Need to File U.S. Taxes.
Will Pope Leo XIV have to file and pay U.S. taxes, despite his strict vow of poverty? Leo is the first American pontiff in history. And U.S. citizens, no matter where they live or who they are, are required to pay tax on their worldwide income—if they owe any. MIT Says It No Longer Stands Behind Student's AI Research Paper U.S. Loses Last Triple-A Credit Rating An Affair, a Murder and the Shattering of an Expat Dream 'Gatekeepers Are Dead': Kanye West's Antisemitic Song Plays On Despite Takedowns This New Investing Idea Isn't Right for Your Retirement Plan Even if they don't owe tax, they may have to file a return with the Internal Revenue Service. And whether it's the pope or the rest of us, there are good reasons to file despite not needing to. This year, the filing threshold is $17,000 of gross income for a single taxpayer who, like Leo, is age 65 or older. For the Chicago-born pope, however, there are unusual circumstances that could exempt him from owing or even filing U.S. taxes. Here's the background: In the Roman Catholic Church, rules about the ownership of property and income by Catholic clergy and members of religious orders vary widely. Not all take vows of poverty, and some poverty vows are stricter than others. Members of the Order of St. Augustine, which Leo entered as Robert Prevost in his 20s, take the strictest vow of poverty, known as a Solemn Vow. On the night before they join the Order as full members, they sign a document renouncing their right to own property and saying they turn over all their goods to the Order. The Wall Street Journal reviewed the pope's renunciation, which he signed in 1981. Fr. James Halstead, treasurer of the Midwest Augustinians that Leo joined, says that if a member earns a salary from teaching, it's typically paid directly to the Order, which is a tax-exempt organization. This means that members don't have taxable income. If an Augustinian receives a gift or other income, he relinquishes that as well. Halstead adds that when the now-pope became a cardinal, he turned over a generous sum he received as a gift. In addition, members don't personally pay into Medicare and Social Security. Instead, the Order pays the levies from its income on behalf of them. As a result, Augustinians don't file individual U.S. tax returns, and Halstead says the Order has no record of Leo's filing any returns. The IRS allows this; for more information, see IRS Publication 517 for clergy. Note: Not all vows of poverty lead to a tax exemption. The IRS has pursued and won cases involving vows of poverty that it questioned. Other discussion about Leo's U.S. taxes has focused on possible income—not the strict vow of poverty that could mean he has no income or responsibility to file. Now that he's pope, Leo and his advisers need to consider what to do going forward. The pope remains an Augustinian, and Halstead hopes he can continue his past practice. In that case, any payment or stipend for the pope could go directly to the Augustinians and he might not need to file. Vatican officials didn't respond to a request for comment about the pope's pay or tax filing. A spokeswoman for the Treasury Department also declined to comment, citing taxpayer-privacy laws. If Leo determines that he has income and needs to file a U.S. return, he could face issues that torment many Americans living abroad. The paperwork for expats is often onerous, and rules to prevent double taxation have gaps. During his 2024 campaign, President Trump advocated changing the rules, but the bill approved Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee doesn't touch them. If he does file, Leo would likely benefit from the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, a tax break that shelters earnings by Americans abroad. For 2025 the limit is $130,000 for a single filer—but to claim it, a taxpayer has to file. In addition, Vatican officials need to check whether Leo should file forms notifying U.S. authorities of certain foreign accounts or assets he has an interest in. The FBAR form often applies to expats with foreign financial accounts totaling more than $10,000 during the year, while IRS Form 8938 applies to various foreign financial assets of greater value. One thing the pontiff probably doesn't need to worry about is owing U.S. tax on the value of his accommodations, meals, travel, clothing and other expenses paid by the Vatican. Michael Graetz, a former Treasury official and emeritus professor at Yale Law School, says that in the pope's case they don't count as taxable income because they're a condition of his employment. Even if the pope isn't required to file a U.S. tax return, some tax professionals recommend that he—and other Americans with little to no income—file anyway. One reason is that filing a return can be a good way to prevent tax ID theft. This occurs when a fraudster uses someone else's Social Security number and date of birth—like the pope's—to fake a refund for themselves. Tax ID theft is cumbersome to unwind, and regularly filing returns makes it harder for fraudsters to act. Leo could also get a special IP PIN number that prevents anyone else from filing with his ID. Matthew Plese, a CPA in Chicago who handles tax filings for many Catholic priests and members of religious orders, also advises his clients to file so the IRS will have a record of them. During the pandemic, it was harder for his clergy clients who hadn't filed to get their stimulus payments, he says. David Lifson, a CPA with Crowe who advises Americans with global income, says there's a more important reason to file. Submitting a return to the IRS activates the statute of limitations, which doesn't begin to run until then. For typical tax issues, the statute is three years. He explains, 'Filing a tax return is a way for Leo to show respect for his citizenship, and it actively affirms that he owes little to no tax.' Write to Laura Saunders at Coming to a Brain Near You: A Tiny Computer Verizon Rolls Back DEI Policies to Secure $10 Billion Deal The Tax Code Gets a MAGA Makeover Wall Street's New 'Shadow Banks' Are on a Tear. They Want Your Money. For Luxury Brands, There Are No Replacements as China and the U.S. Falter Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former Cumbrian school pupil shares delight as friend becomes Pope
A FORMER Cumbrian school pupil has shared his delight at the appointment of his long-time colleague and friend to the position of Pope - with the pair even catching up days after he was elected for the position. Father Ian Wilson OSA is the assistant general to the Order of St Augustine in Rome, with responsibility for Northern Europe. The Augustinian is a former pupil of Austin Friars school at Carlisle where he boarded from 1965 to 1973, following a move from Scotland when his father changed jobs. The Austin Friars trustee has a special place in his heart for his former home. He often comes back to visit his brother Gordon near Seascale, and sometimes gives mass at St Joseph's Church, in order to assist the parish priest Father Peter Groody. Father Ian first met the new Pope Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prevost) at the Augustinians international student house in Rome, when Prevost began as a student in 1981. The pair have known each other on and off throughout the years, and the former Austin Friars pupil was even present when Prevost received the 'red hat' and became a cardinal back in 2023. Speaking about their first meeting, Father Ian said: "We have an international student house called St Monica's and I was here studying basic theology for ordination to priesthood. Robert Prevost came as a student to do a licence in Canon law. Pope Leo and Fr Ian on the day the Pope was made a cardinal back in 2023. (Image: Supplied)"We were two or three years together in Rome and then he became our Prior General in from 2001 to 2013. That's our 'boss man' so I would have contact with him various times and various places during that period." Over the last two and a half years, Ian said he and his fellow Augustinians have seen the new Pope (a cardinal at the time) 'almost every day'. He said: "He's just very simple, doesn't make any fuss or bother, he is very much an Augustinian." The Friar believed there will be a 'certain continuity' following on from Pope Francis, with a focus on supporting the poor and world peace to be 'central' in the reign of Pope Leo. Speaking about the new Pope, Father Ian said: "He has always been a very pleasant person to be around, he was sitting opposite me at lunch the day before he went into the Conclave, and conversation with him is always very good, easy and interesting. "He likes a joke, he likes a laugh, he is a man who can relax, but at the same time he is also a very focused man." Father Ian was in the Piazza when the Pope came out onto the balcony, and said the atmosphere was full of 'anticipation and excitement' whilst the packed out square awaited the new Pope. "It was strange, he was sat next to me on the Tuesday, went into the Conclave on the Wednesday and came out onto the balcony as Leo XIV on the Thursday," he said. "When we heard the news it was very emotional. My eyes filled up with tears, tears of joy, we are exceptionally proud of him and it was a very exciting time. "People recognised us as Augustinians at the square and were congratulating us." Pope Leo XIV visited Father Ian and his colleagues in the Augustinian Curia on Tuesday, May 13 just days after his appointment as Pope Leo, to celebrate Mass and then have lunch with the group. It is hoped that Father Ian and his fellow Augustinians will be in attendance at the inauguration mass this coming Sunday, May 18. Carlisle also has strong connections to the Augustinian Friars. Carlisle Cathedral was initially founded as an Augustinian Priory, and Austin Friars is the only Augustinian school in the UK, with nearby Lanercost Priory also used to house a community of Augustinian canons in the mid-1100s.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
What Pope Leo XIV's coat of arms and motto tell us about his leadership
Pope Leo XIV has announced his motto and coat of arms – a long-held tradition for those in the ranks of bishops, cardinals and popes. The choice of symbols and words reflects the person's experience. Leo's shield is divided diagonally: The upper half shows a white lily on a blue background, and the lower shows the emblem of the Order of St. Augustine – an order to which he belongs. His motto reads, 'In Illo uno unam,' translated as 'In the One, we are one,' which are words of St. Augustine from his Exposition on Psalm 127, Paragraph 2: 'I understand one in the One Christ. You are therefore many, and you are one; we are many, and we are one. ' In choosing this motto, Leo includes the identifying symbol of Augustine, a heart pierced by an arrow. As an art historian, I explain how Renaissance artists portrayed Augustine's humility, and what the choice of the motto might tell us about the new pope. The Order of St. Augustine Augustine lived in the late fourth century, ultimately serving as bishop of Hippo in northern Africa for 34 years. The Augustinian order was founded in 1244 after several communities of hermits living in the region of Tuscany, Italy, petitioned Pope Innocent IV to form a single order. The pope gave them the Rule of Saint Augustine as a code of living, which stated: 'Call nothing your own, but let everything be yours in common; [do] not seek after what is vain and earthly.' Augustine's status as a scholar, theologian and administrator made him a widely depicted saint. For example, he appears in a stained glass window commissioned by a pastor in 1622, in which he holds his symbol of the heart pierced with the arrow resting on a book on his lap. The image relates to a phrase from Augustine's book 'The Confessions': 'Thou hadst pierced our heart with thy love, and we carried thy words, as it were, thrust through our vitals.' In this stained-glass image, the saint is seen speaking to a child. The 1483 translation of the 'Golden Legend,' a collection of saints' lives, explains that while struggling to write his treatise 'On the Trinity,' Augustine was walking at the seashore and saw a child filling a tiny pit with water. When the child explained that he was bringing the ocean into the pit, Augustine scolded him for being silly. The child answered that he would sooner fit all the water of the sea into the pit than Augustine could bring the mystery of the Trinity into his limited human understanding. The Trinity is the Christian concept that God is not a single person but three – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – united in a single divine and eternal nature. This lesson in humility became widely depicted across the centuries. In 1482, an altarpiece by the painter and sculptor Michael Pacher shows Augustine with a child at his feet holding a spoon. Augustine's scholarship Augustine's legacy includes not only 'The Confessions,' one of the most widely read books of medieval and early modern times, and 'On the Trinity,' but many others, including 'The City of God,' a monumental work of over 1,000 pages. Sandro Botticelli 's 1480 painting of Augustine in his study shows the saint searching for clarity of thought as he pauses his writing. Dressed simply in a long white garment and a cloak, he has set aside his bishop's miter, an official hat – also a gesture of humility. His study is crowded with books; on the right, behind his head, a book is open to a study of geometry. Botticelli tries to show the saint as a scholar in ancient times by placing on the left an old and discredited celestial model that depicts the Earth at the center of the universe, with the Sun, Moon, planets and stars revolving around it. We, with modern knowledge, understand that despite his intelligence, Augustine cannot know everything. Leo has been both a scholar and pastor. He served as a professor of canon law and early Christian theology at San Carlos y San Marcelo, a seminary in Peru. Yet, like the founder of his order, his words at this first Mass reflected his humility when he said that his appointment as pope was 'both a cross and a blessing' and spoke of the responsibility he and the cardinals have in the world.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pope Leo XIV visits the headquarters of his Augustinian order
Pope Leo XIV met with members of his Augustinian religious order on Tuesday, visiting the congregation's headquarters outside St Peter's Square. Leo was seen exiting a black Volkswagen Tiguan in the driveway of the Agostinianum, the pontifical institute that also serves as the Rome-based residence and headquarters of the Order of St Augustine. The ethos of the order, which includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others, is traced to the fifth century St Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity. The former Rev Robert Prevost, history's first American pope, was twice elected superior of the order, which was formed in the 13th century as a community of mendicant friars — dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation. Ever since his election on May 8, Leo has repeatedly emphasised he is a 'son of St Augustine'. He visited an Augustinian-run Marian sanctuary south of Rome on Saturday in his first outing as pope and during his first greeting to the world, wore a pectoral cross given to him by his order that contained relics of the saint. Leo is the first Augustinian pope.
Irish Examiner
13-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Pope Leo XIV visits the headquarters of his Augustinian order
Pope Leo XIV met with members of his Augustinian religious order on Tuesday, visiting the congregation's headquarters outside St Peter's Square. Leo was seen exiting a black Volkswagen Tiguan in the driveway of the Agostinianum, the pontifical institute that also serves as the Rome-based residence and headquarters of the Order of St Augustine. The ethos of the order, which includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others, is traced to the fifth century St Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity. Pope Leo met with members of the Augustinian religious order (Cecilia Fabiano/AP) The former Rev Robert Prevost, history's first American pope, was twice elected superior of the order, which was formed in the 13th century as a community of mendicant friars — dedicated to poverty, service and evangelisation. Ever since his election on May 8, Leo has repeatedly emphasised he is a 'son of St Augustine'. He visited an Augustinian-run Marian sanctuary south of Rome on Saturday in his first outing as pope and during his first greeting to the world, wore a pectoral cross given to him by his order that contained relics of the saint. Leo is the first Augustinian pope.
