[trebb]

This seems like the Pope is suggesting yet again that private charity is better than government redistribution. I believe that he and JPII have each made more than 10 statements related to this over the decades. I believe that government redistribution is the path to a godless society.

One would hope that's what he meant. Being human, Popes can also be fallible - not long back we had one embracing the "green" theory to "save the planet". One would think that one in such a position would not worry about such worldly things - God has said how it will end and it won't be because Man has destroyed the planet (although eventual nukes may cause some issues as we head into the final times)...

[stanne]

You guys really think the popes come out wiht ideas like Obama does and it’s just some misquoted headline kind of crap.

Encyclicals are written periodically and they re well thought out by extremely well informed well educated people.

[impimp]

Just to clarify - Popes can be infallible if they and the Holy Spirit want them to be infallible. For example, the Pope was infallible when he issued documents in conjunction with all of the Bishops in the 1960s (Vatican II). Also the pope was infallible when he declared about 60 years ago that Mary was Assumed into Heaven.

But, yes, a Pope speaking in an address or even in written documents may be fallible. There is no infallibility around statements partially addressing “green” theory.