Oh, I know what it is. It is the Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII issued on May 15, 1891, “On the Condition of the Working Classes.”
I was just surprised to see it cited in support of leftist policies, as it contains passages such as this:
5. In any event, We see clearly, and all are agreed that the poor must be speedily and fittingly cared for, since the great majority of them live undeservedly in miserable and wretched conditions.
6. After the old trade guilds had been destroyed in the last century, and no protection was substituted in their place, and when public institutions and legislation had cast off traditional religious teaching, it gradually came about that the present age handed over the workers, each alone and defenseless, to the inhumanity of employers and the unbridled greed of competitors. A devouring usury, although often condemned by the Church, but practiced nevertheless under another form by avaricious and grasping men, has increased the evil; and in addition the whole process of production as well as trade in every kind of goods has been brought almost entirely under the power of a few, so that a very few rich and exceedingly rich men have laid a yoke almost of slavery on the unnumbered masses of non-owning workers.
7. To cure this evil, the Socialists, exciting the envy of the poor toward the rich, contend that it is necessary to do away with private possession of goods and in its place to make the goods of individuals common to all, and that the men who preside over a municipality or who direct the entire State should act as administrators of these goods. They hold that, by such a transfer of private goods from private individuals to the community, they can cure the present evil through dividing wealth and benefits equally among the citizens.
8. But their program is so unsuited for terminating the conflict that it actually injures the workers themselves. Moreover, it is highly unjust, because it violates the rights of lawful owners, perverts the function of the State, and throws governments into utter confusion.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it would be perverted in the service of that which it condemns.
Holy Crap!
Unbelievable find, dsc!
I can’t believe first of all that he would go back over 100 years to make a point! And, obviously, the conditions of workers and the lower class then were probably a lot different than now.
That is unbelievable that the same Pope who talked about that actually came against socialism!
Thank you so much.
I will quote Pope Leo, too!
I’m going to have so much fun throwing a whole load of crap back in his face. :-)
Wow! Thanks! Can’t get much more clear than that.
[SNIP]
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that it would be perverted in the service of that which it condemns.
Thank you so very much for pointing this out and highlighting the encyclical. Such actions that bring about malignant disinformation about the church make me very angry. What makes me even angrier is that we who grew up after VatII were NEVER exposed to any of this through 12 years of Catholic school. Chaput is so correct that there has been a massive failure in leadership.