Posted on 04/04/2007 7:38:32 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Rich countries bent on power and profit have mercilessly "plundered and sacked" Africa and other poor regions and exported to them the "cynicism of a world without God," Pope Benedict writes in his first book.
The Pope also condemns drug trafficking and sexual tourism, saying they are signs of a world brimming with "people who are empty" yet living among abundant material goods.
One section of the book was printed in Wednesday's Corriere Della Sera daily before publication later this month by Italian publisher Rizzoli, which owns the newspaper. A Rizzoli spokeswoman confirmed the authenticity of the excerpts.
In the 400-page book, called "Jesus of Nazareth," the Pope offers a modern application of Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan, who stopped to help a man who had been robbed by thieves when others, including a priest, had not.
"The current relevance of the parable is obvious," the Pope writes.
"If we apply it to the dimensions of globalised society today, we see how the populations of Africa have been plundered and sacked and this concerns us intimately," the Pope says in his book, which comes out on April 16, his 80th birthday.
He drew a link between the lifestyle of people in the developed world and the dire conditions of people in Africa.
"We see how our lifestyle, the history that involved us, has stripped them naked and continues to strip them naked," he writes.
The German Pope, who has condemned the effects of colonialism before, said rich countries had also hurt poor countries spiritually by belittling or trying to wipe out their own cultural and spiritual traditions.
"Instead of giving them God, the God close to us in Christ, and welcoming in their traditions all that is precious and great ... we have brought them the cynicism of a world without God, where only power and profit count...," he writes.
The Pope says his comments were valid for other regions apart from Africa.
In what could be seen as a strong self-criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, whose missionary activities often went hand-in-glove with colonialism, the Pope writes:
"We destroyed (their) moral criteria to the point that corruption and a lust for power devoid of scruples have become obvious."
Uh oh... ;-)
He does have a point with the above. The UN and its agencies have been doing their best to force abortion and contraception on Third World countries, and much of it is funded by the U.S.
It sounds more like a typical leftist “anti globalization” rant to me.
Good thing he’s infallible, huh?
/s
Why don't you educate yourself about what he's infallible about?
The above is his personal opinion. He wasn't giving an authoritative statement about faith or morals. Catholics are free to disagree. It's not like the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption.
“Why don’t you educate yourself about what he’s infallible about?”
I was being silly. I still think it’s an anti-globalization rant.
The west has a lot more to offer the 3rd world than Catholicism, such as (well, at least the US) capitalism and liberty. Globalization will improve the lives of 3rd worlders, not hinder it.
Um...that was the European Catholics, in South America. ;)
When did the Pope start channeling Jesse Jackson?
“...rich countries had also hurt poor countries spiritually by belittling or trying to wipe out their own cultural and spiritual traditions.”
***
To be fair, we have also tried to teach the third world to do for themselves without a lot of success. We have sent missionaries and lay people to teach abstinence and faithfulness in African countries where AIDS is rampant. We have sent experts to teach how to farm successfully during prolonged periods of drought. All of this has basically fallen upon deaf ears. Oh sure, they may listen very politely, but then they go out and do things the same way they always have. When you ask why, when obviously, what they are doing is detrimental to their well being, they will say, “it’s tradition.” Their stubborn refusal to let go of “tradition” and follow a better way is what is ultimately killing them.
Sorry Catholics but this guy is so anti-American and evangelical Christian it is scary. He has said incredible things, I am beginning to think he is a little daft. Just get into his speeches that are not widely publicized. Especially those when he visited Mexico.
Pope Benedict XVI has never visited Mexico as pope. And how is this "anti-American and evangelical Christian"?
Capitalism and liberty will save their souls?
They were doing a lot better before the rise of liberalism and liberation theology. Much like the african-americans in America, the african-americans in Africa were poor but proud, and determined to get better, but liberalism and marxism have destroyed them.
European Catholics did the above? Did you read the last part of the article?
In what could be seen as a strong self-criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, whose missionary activities often went hand-in-glove with colonialism, the Pope writes: "We destroyed (their) moral criteria to the point that corruption and a lust for power devoid of scruples have become obvious."
I don’t think you know what your’re talking about.
Where do you get that? Secular Humanism is what the rich countries of Europe and America exported to the African-Americans in Africa that gave them the cynicism of a world without God.
“Capitalism and liberty will save their souls?”
I don’t believe that souls need saving - I don’t believe that we are born “sinful.”
If you belive that capitalism and liberty are an anathema, why are you here?
No, I was quoting a post above.
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