Posted on 07/09/2009 8:37:07 AM PDT by NYer
Newspapers, blogs, talk-shows on radio and television are full of discussion over Pope Benedict XVI's supposed call for a "new world order" or a "one-world government." These ideas are, however, neither based in reality nor a clear reading of the Pope's latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, the release of which yesterday spawned the heated discussion.
The Pope actually speaks directly against a one-world government, and, as would be expected from those who have read his previous writings, calls for massive reform of the United Nations. Confusion seems to have come from paragraph 67 of the encyclical, which has some choice pull-quotes which have spiced the pages of the world's news, from the New York Times to those of conspiracy theorist bloggers seeing the Pope as the Anti-Christ.
The key quote which has led to the charge reads: "To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago."
However, in paragraph 41, the Holy Father specifically differentiates his concept of a world political authority from that of a one-world government. "We must," he says "promote a dispersed political authority." He explains that "The integrated economy of the present day does not make the role of States redundant, but rather it commits governments to greater collaboration with one another. Both wisdom and prudence suggest not being too precipitous in declaring the demise of the State. In terms of the resolution of the current crisis, the State's role seems destined to grow, as it regains many of its competences. In some nations, moreover, the construction or reconstruction of the State remains a key factor in their development."
Later in the encyclical (57) he speaks of the opposite concept to one- world government -subsidiarity (the principle of Catholic social teaching which states that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority) - as being essential. "In order not to produce a dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature, the governance of globalization must be marked by subsidiarity," says the Pope.
Another of the key quotes which is being extracted for shock value from the encyclical is this: "In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth."
Since long before his papacy, Joseph Ratzinger has vigorously fought the United Nations' vision of a 'New World Order'. As early as 1997, and repeated subsequently, Ratzinger took public aim at such a vision, noting that the philosophy coming from UN conferences and the Millennium Summit "proposes strategies to reduce the number of guests at the table of humanity, so that the presumed happiness [we] have attained will not be affected."
"At the base of this New World Order", he said is the ideology of "women's empowerment," which erroneously sees "the principal obstacles to [a woman's] fulfillment [as] the family and maternity." The then-cardinal advised that "at this stage of the development of the new image of the new world, Christians - and not just them but in any case they even more than others - have the duty to protest."
Benedict XVI in fact repeats those criticisms in the new encyclical. In Caritas in Veritate, the Pope slams "practices of demographic control, on the part of governments that often promote contraception and even go so far as to impose abortion." He also denounces international economic bodies such as the IMF and World Bank (without specifically naming them) for their lending practices which tie aid to so-called 'family planning.' "There is reason to suspect that development aid is sometimes linked to specific health-care policies which de facto involve the imposition of strong birth control measures," says the encyclical.
Any vision of a proper ordering of the world, of international economics or political cooperation, suggests the Pope, must be based on a "moral order." That includes first and foremost "the fundamental right to life" from conception to natural death, the recognition of the family based on marriage between one man and one woman as the basis of society and freedom for faith and cooperation among all peoples based on principles of natural law.
This is being posted to Breaking News to address the confusion arising from another thread, two days ago. Please ping any and all who were confused.
I want to be convinced....
But The Pope was advocating for stealing IP and redistributing energy from rich to poor countries....
FINALLY, some one gets is right.
“This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.”
“Furthermore, such an authority would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights[148]. Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums.”
So, he has no technical solutions and won't interfere in US politics, but he wants a human superauthority with complete enforcement powers that:
- Serves as a global political order
- Serves as a global economic order
- Serves as a global juridical order
- Disarms all countries
- Regulates migration
- Prevents “imbalances”
- Provides food security
- Provides peace
Summation: “Let’s make a world political authority - but let’s make a nice one”.
Not gonna work.
There is no confusion. The Pope is a socialist.
He writes in euphemisms that he quite purposefully knows will be appreciated by socialists around the world and taken by them, and used by them - with his knowledge - as moral support for the THEIR agendas. Those are the facts.
Just scratch any group of learned Catholic economists and you’ll find they are socialists and just like Obama they will say their political-economic views have been informed by the Catholic Church’s “social justice” teachings.
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A few more truth threads here:
[Caritas in Veritate] Father Fessio: A New Framework for Social Justice [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
A Capitalist or Anti-Capitalist Encyclical? [Caritas in Veritate]
A Capitalist or Anti-Capitalist Encyclical? [Caritas in Veritate]
Caritas In Veritate (Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical)-Full Text
Pope's New Encyclical Speaks Against New World Order [Catholic Caucus]
On the 3rd Encyclical (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)
Best Pro-Life Quotes from Pope Benedict XVI's New Encyclical
Encycli-bites for reading “Caritas in veritate”
In new encyclical Pope Benedict slams population control, urges openness to life
The New Encyclical [Cairtas in Veritate -- Love and Truth] {Ecumenical]
AP, Reuters Go Full Tilt in Spinning Latest Writing of Pope
Caritatis [sic] in Veritate: papal encyclical calls for new moral approach to global economy (CWN)
Supreme Knight criticizes use of Pope's encyclical for political agendas
Benedict XVI explains gifts and limitations of free market economy
Benedict XVI Tightens Up the Church's Social Teaching
Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI New Encyclical "CARITAS IN VERITATE" (CHARITY AND TRUTH)
Love for others requires involvement in politics, pope says
I am from the Fundamentalist Protestant background that invented the fear of a "one world government" and "one world religion." But originally it was always understood that this referred only to an evil, counterfeit OOG and OOR. Everyone who believes in an objectively true religion must believe that eventually that religion will triumph and be in fact a "one world religion" in the truest sense of the word. And as for "one world government"--ever hear of the Millennium?
Within the past couple of decades this idea seems to have been lost and now any OOG or OOR is considered evil--even that of G-d Himself. I cannot help but wonder if this is not henotheism--the idea of a separate, equally valid "truth" for every people and nation--sneaking back in.
Personally, I am all for One World Government and One World Religion--provided only that it is from G-d Himself. Any other claimant to these titles must be resisted to the utmost.
Even if I had NO FAITH WHATSOEVER, I would still be inclined to listen carefully and thoughtfully to this man.
As was the case with his predecessor, I find in him a remarkable blend of spirituality and intellect.
For those Catholics who insist this is plausible through “subsidiary,” my question to you is how do you do a “New, New World Order” with subsidiary?” How do you make something like the UN have absolute enforcement power in these areas of importance while having the power and enforcement limited to the smallest, local enforcer? Who or what could that enforcer even be, the country itself?
If so, then this whole thing is hogwash and merely words meant to sound intelligent.
I’m trying to give the benfit of a doubt about what he said, as i know the media likes to mis-quote anyone with religious authority.
The only way I could positively spin it would be that he was referring to Jesus Christ as the “true world political authority”.
That seems to be a stretch though....
Right there says it all. Everything else is just fluff and wishful thinking. Also what authority will check the power and make sure the “universal” authority is abiding by the law? A bunch of nation States with different agendas? Why the hell (I know the devil wants one) do Christians need a “one world entity” anyway? Constitution that protect us from government + God fearing individuals + superior firepower = peace.
Good grief, convoluted “intellectualism” running wild around the Vatican.
ping
Very good observation!
I read it, agree that it speaks out against global government and found it very moving. Charity does, in fact, begin at home and to those with whom we come in contact. That is the only way that it is effective, fair and immediate. Wise man, he — that Benedict.
I was confused. It appeared that the pope stood against free market capitalism.
How does this thread change that?
Reuters was cherry-picking for the lamestream media and you know it. So why do you believe them and their interpretation/headlines?
If it were about politics such as Reagan and Reuters posted something so negative, you would immediately dismiss it as leftist journalism.
You have fallen for the falsehoods. READ the ENTIRE document. It is in one of the links I posted above.
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