Posted on 05/09/2014 7:15:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the "economy of exclusion" that is taking hold today.
Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who met in Rome this week.
Latin America's first pope has frequently lashed out at the injustices of capitalism and the global economic system that excludes so much of humanity, though his predecessors have voiced similar concerns.
On Friday, Francis called for the United Nations to promote a "worldwide ethical mobilization" of solidarity with the poor in a new spirit of generosity.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
I’m not a pope hater. Urban II was my favorite kind of Pope.
God help us all. the Pope is now officially advocating the forcible taking of the fruit of one man’s labor to benefit others. What is it they used to call that? Why not do this; reform the Crusades and take from the Muslims all they have stolen over the centuries. Redistribute that, if you want.
I wonder if GOD gave us the million dollar lotteries to demonstrate to us what happens when money is given instead of earned? The lesson is lost on us.
Bull Crap. The Church never used the government to provide charity.
If you believe “Christian capitalism” is best acheived through the State taking my taxes and redistributing them to the poor, then you have a major FAIL in both Politics and Religion.
The story said he calls on GOVERNMENTS to redistribute wealth.
That’s worked out just great so far, right?
Either he was misquoted, or he’s an idiot, or he is a leftist of the Obama stripe.
The Vatican website say that Pope Francis said “legitimate redistribution of benefits. Why did the AP change that to redistribution of wealth? That’s what I want to know.
God gave us the book of Proverbs to address that issue.
I’m sure the Pope thinks it is immoral to ignore the truly poor, hungry, needy. I do too. But I wonder if the Pope thinks it’s immoral to rob people of their initiative and their work ethic, and to effectively run fathers out of the home, by addicting families and generations to public assistance? I wonder if he thinks it’s immoral to rob a person at gunpoint, then turn around and give the loot to someone else, someone considered more deserving? Forced redistribution of wealth is every bit as immoral as ignoring helpless widows and orphans.
Here’s the money shot;”the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state”. This has nothing to do with Christianity and less to do with capitalism.
This is as indefensible as the “sign of Peace” or praying at Mass holding hands. We’re the Catholic Church, not a hippie commune.
As long as he sticks to religous issues, it's in his realm. But this is a political issue. If he is saying that employees of the Church should get a raise, that works.
Wow, the liberals will be happy to hear this.
The liberals have taken and run with this comments that “who is he to judge” if a homosexual is truly seeking the will of God, etc. to mean that this pope is friendly to homosexuality.
Now the liberals will take this and run with it, that this pope is some sort of Marxist at heart.
Geez.................
It is welfare for Swiss banks.
Sorry, Pope, but the governments you encourage to partner with you in this effort will extract the money at gunpoint. Where in the Gospels did Christ teach that the threat of violence was ok?
Of course, governments will fall all over themselves to support you in this matter, along with their Media toadies, because this is yet another way to expand Big Government, just like Global Warming.
The poor are with us BECAUSE of government. Think of your own land Argentina - it was one of the wealthiest countries until the redistributionists took over.
Pope - get a clue before spouting about matters you know little about. You're gonna make things worse. More government is not the solution to ANYTHING.
He called for government to do it, not individuals. Big difference.
I think the pope should review the 10 commandments, specifically 7 and 9.
From Luther's small catechism,
7) Thou shalt not steal.
We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].
9) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
Sigh. Why doesn't this pope understand stealing and coveting? Just because you can make it legal, doesn't make it right.
Being intelligent many times makes one very ignorant.
Haven't heard that one in a while. The Catholic Church has no wealth to give away—she already gives it away every year. There remain some nice buildings and art commissioned or collected with the contributions of Catholics (and others). But these people over the centuries donated their money, from the peasants' pennies to the kings' millions, with the understanding that these costly works would be made or acquired for the glory of God and the edification of mankind—rather than for financial gain, as the Church's detractors on this front seem to favor.
The love of money, as St. Paul pointed out, is the root of evil.
You think that is better? Means exactly nothing to me. What in the world is a benefit?
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