Truly speaking our vow of poverty has more to do with a sense of inner freedom than with money. Either an over-emphasis on the latter (or lack of it) or a total "modern" interpretation of the vow itself, renders religious life meaningless. I have heard several Salesians say that having money in hand is no big deal - I'm taking of personal money - as long as you are detached from it. I have my reservations about this concept of 'personal money' altogether! If one is really detached why have it at all and then find ways and means to justify having it!
Anyway, with most of our discussions and debates centred around money/currency, we reduce our vow of poverty to having or not having money. In the bargain we lose out on the very essence of it: a sense of inner freedom in order to be available for works of the Kingdom. Say for example, the prudent and fruitful use of time, talents, human resources, our own potencies suffering from inertia... most of which cannot be immediately calculated in terms of money!
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