When Benny Hinn made a statement to his followers in his August 5th broadcast that he had gone to Rome and had been made a Patron of the Arts it was inevitable someone would write the Vatican Museum program and ask.
Christian Research Services queried Fr. Mark Haydu, International Coordinator/Director of The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. His response:
To my knowledge, Paula White or Benny Hinn were not invited to the Vatican Museums in any official context, nor did we find anyone on our donors database of Patrons under those names. [Original on file with CRS]
Haydu told Christian Research Services that thousands of people visit the Vatican yearly and he’d only be aware of Patrons and visitors to the Museums.
Benny Hinn was the one who told people on camera that was the Vatican department he dealt with. The full story is here, including Hinn and White’s original statements July 24th about their trip to Rome. You can watch the broadcast of Hinn saying he was made a Patron of the Arts here. This is what he said:
The Vatican did invite me a few days ago. They made me a Patron of the Arts in the Vatican two weeks ago. And that’s a fact! A Patron of the Arts means you support the Vatican so they can maintain all the work of Michelangelo. I’m one of the guys now that supports what they do. And that is a fact. I was there, and we were taken around by a man named Wilhelm Kramer [or Cramer]. And they asked me, literally they said, “Do you know people that can help us financially?” I said, “Alright.”
Now here’s where I made my mistake: I let her [Paula White] come with me to Rome, so she can donate money. That was stupid on my part.
It’s possible paperwork of the bestowing of Patron of the Arts to Hinn and White hasn’t caught up to Haydu, a lot of things are possible. Given the date of the Hinn/White Rome visit is publicly known, checking the visit would not be difficult for officials running the Museums. Or a curious researcher. Or The National Enquirer. Paula White supposedly told her congregation in Florida she was heading off on vacation during that time. (the broadcast is not online) After telling her congregation she was on vacation White then said in her July statement she was in Rome on ministry business. Her congregation found out about the Rome trip like everyone else from US tabloid. This is what she said in her public statement:
I publicly profess and forcefully renounce assertions that the recent trip to Italy to meet with Vatican officials suggests that the friendship is in any way improper or morally impure. We traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties…
Since Hinn and White were ‘being made’ Patrons, they would have had to give the Vatican Museums money.
Donating would require real names or the name of their US ministries (donor money) and not the name David Solomon that Hinn supposedly used to check into the Rome hotel. It’s possible Hinn and White gave the Vatican a cash donation and phony names to become Patrons, anything is possible. But not probable.
If anything changes in this “I said/The Vatican said” discrepancy, I’ll post.
Update: Fr. Federico Lombardi of the Holy See Press Office says Benny Hinn met with the Pope in 1989 and visited the Vatican in 2008. DagenMaganinet July 31/10:
Some visitors will sit on the top row at a papal audience. They considered donating money to a major restoration of an organ. Hinn was one of them. If he gave money or not is unknown, Lombardi said.
Lombardi says the Vatican is aware of Hinn’s ministry and there are no plans for ministry co-operation. via Norway’s DagenMaganzinet
Pingback: Stephen Strang Suing Benny Hinn « Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion
Pst Benny Hinn is becoming too compromising for my liking. Friendship with the world is enemity with GOD. He should know some of us are looking up to him for examplary Biblical leadership. He must not take us for granted because he is by and large a slave of Christ and not a superstar, a title belongable to Jesus Christ alone. I believe he is clean but must stay clear from disputable issues like his misplaced Rome trip which to me is a mockery to Christ.
pastor benny is a propht of god leave him alone and focuse on real issues such as reducing poverty and oppression
we all need to pray for our ministers at the head this sometime just shows us as believers that we have become weary and slack in intercession we need to go back to the potter
I have a witness in my heart that no immorality whatsoever occurred between Pastor Benny Hinn and Pastor Paula White but at this time in history, ministers of the gospel must be quite straight forward so as not to be misread, misplaced or misunderstood. I stand by the man of God extra-ordinaire and will never castigate the annointed of the Lord.
About Pastor Hinns divorce issues, the Lord will restore the marriage….he has not wasted his efforts in the struggle for Christ. By Pastor Hinn, all nations of the world have been touched for christ, even generations unborn
The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?
@edigan sebastian
Would you elaborate on exactly how this “witness in your heart” operates – and define what the hell “extra-ordinaire” (sic) means. Where is that phrase found in scripture, and how does this relate to Hinn?
What efforts in the “struggle for Christ” are you referring to. Please direct us to scripture, and describe how Hinn has “touched” the nations.
Explain how unborn generations will be affected by this con man, and just how you got to be so bewitched.
Let’s face it AtheistAtBirth, some people are just really fucked up… Sorry Bene, just being honest and saying it like it is.
I get the sense you aren’t sorry Tim, the reality is most of us are messed up one way or the other. The difficulties come when we forget we are.
Touch not my anointed and do no harm to my Prophet. Shall we continue to pray for them.
The misuse of these bible verses is rampant. I suggest you read Nathans Voice, ideally the series of posts, but this one in particular.
No one can Judge any one. Thank you Pastor Benny Hinn for your works.
@ Vatican : I dont belive in Roman Catholics beliefs and the Pope. I DO NOT JUDGE them but I do not believe them. Thanks Vatican for your works
I want to be placed on record that I believe and trust Pastor Benny Hinn. But I maintain that we preachers must watch our conducts because they might negatively affect the weak am
ong us even if we are clean and safe before GOD. I pray for Benny like I do for other global christian leaders. My point of reasoning is that the enemy of Christ would be happy to see God’s servants fail and faulter. What does an evangelical christian got to do with the papacy whose doctrines are anti-God and anti-Bible. No tainting, holiness must be in and out. Let’s forget and forgo public attestation of our ministry; God’s credence is all we need. May The Almighty Father help, bless and direct Pastor Benny Hinn all the days of ìs ministry on earth. May his heart continue to be ‘soiled’ by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Amen and amen and amen.
Let’s stop talk and start pray for everything is in the Hands of God
The worst thing about being “messed up” is not only denying that you are, but refusing to take the medicine to get better – self delusional. Having faith in someone or something is a terrific thing. But when evidence contradicts the reliability or veracity of the thing you have faith in, then you are just a fool. And unquestioning faith in a man or a god is just foolishness.
Religious faith is a drug and people like the pope and benny hinn and every preacher and priest, the pushers. Think of it as Big Pharma religion. Funny how the faithful are so suspicious of the pharmaceutical companies’ conspiring to reap enormous profits by keeping society dependent on their products, yet would never suspect the propagandists of religion having a similarly huge stake in keeping the myth alive.
The day we stop talking and just leave everything in god’s hands, is the day we seal our fate to revive the brutality of the bible or the medieval dark ages. “God”, when left to run the show, couldn’t bring peace and order to the world. Reason being, he was not, is not, there. When humanity has to morally evolve through time and progress to become more humane, there is no “higher power” at work. Only us. And it’s all up to US, not some otherworldly entity, to make it better.
Cheers to a better year ahead!
…”Only us. And it’s all up to US, not some otherworldly entity, to make it better.”
Reminds me of the old Coca Cola commercial from the 70,s,were everyone is holding hands around the Christmas tree,singing,I’d like to teach the world to sing….
I do relish the “Utopian Ideal”…,However,it is,just that!
Talk about Delusion…
forgot to take your meds today, eh brano?
Here’s to reason and lucidity to light our paths in 2012!
LMAO……Yes,I guess “US” should take over the planet and solve the worlds problems?
…Maybe take a few courses in history….and smoke another one!
Don’t worry your pretty little head,as the One World Government will make everything groovy and solve everybody’s problems…lol
Sit back and watch some more Carl Sagan videos,and do read more of Christopher Hitchkins
Drivel on…zzzzz
Happy New Year Marina!
Instead of this fights and quarell between xtains who are really in the body of christ, why not come together, stand with each other and be the united body that Jesus christ wants to meet when he comes back. Remember the people of the earth in the time of babel (Gen11:4-5) even God knew that nothing could seperate them because of their unity. Atleast in our case we are united for Jesus christ. The major thing the devil wants to do is to put enermnity within the church through scandals like this. And don’t forget that this pastors are humans and prone to mistake.