Posted on 11/20/2008 11:46:09 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Pope Benedict predicted the current economic apocolypse back in 1985, an Italian politician has declared, suggesting that the Vatican may be the one global institution likely to make a killing out of Mammon's downfall.
The claim that His Holiness foresaw the sub-prime crisis, the collapse of the investment banks and the seizing up of the international credit markets when he was a mere cardinal came in a speech yesterday by Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti, who cited the then Joseph Ratzinger's 1985 paper Market Economy and Ethics
Sadly, anyone looking for something along the lines of Revelations will be disappointed. Ratzinger did not come to this conclusion after a vision of a fiery angel bearing a golden trumpet and floating across a lake of blood drained from repentant bankers and hedge fund managers, as the four horsemen of the economic apocalypse made off down Wall St with US taxpayers' cash.
Rather, Benedict was trying to strike a balance between the amoral determinism inherent in both raw capitalism model, as well as the centrally planned economy traditional Marxism holds up as an alternative.
In the paper, the Pope does indeed warn that a lack of ethics "can actually cause the laws of the market to collapse".
Hardly fire and brimstone, and to be honest, hardly a revelation. Still, Opus Dei et al will be pleased to see Benedict does manage to get a dig in at Calvinism, noting "Weber's thesis about the inner connection between capitalism and Calvinism".
The paper concludes: "Today we need a maximum of specialized economic understanding, but also a maximum of ethos so that specialized economic understanding may enter the service of the right goals. Only in this way will its knowledge be both politically practicable and socially tolerable."
Still, despite the absence of riddles, multiheaded whores and blood-letting on the Plain of Armageddon, the paper does indeed feature many of the hallmarks of a good prophecy, ie no dates and no specifics. Which of course means this 1985 paper could have equally prophesied the financial crises of 1987, 1998, 2001 etc.
Another thing to point out is that most of the Catholic Church’s wealth is in buildings which hold worshipping Catholics. You might as well say sell America and then wonder where the Americans will fit in.
exactly. That wealth is unimaginable to many, and they think it is greed especially when compared to the televangelists of today. The church is much more comparable to a museum like the smithsonian, not a bank. This escapes many. I wonder if they understand these 2 things. The most valuable thing held by the Catholic Church is a consecrated host, and many more have died for that then preserving any wealth.... and 2. Were it not for this Church, they would not have much of history recorded,by writing,art, architecture or otherwise.
The Vatican library is THE resource for documents used by scholars... or a bible to preach at us with... I’m just sayin’
AMEN!!!!!!!
Yet you can buy fifteen of them for a dollar...
Ricci, 33, sought to swipe 15 wafers valued at $1, according to a Martin County Sheriff's Office report...
Unconsecrated hosts-$1-15, Consecrated host-priceless:)
The Vatican is the world’s greatest art museum. Would you say that the Smithsonian should be liquidated? Or that its curator lives in a “grossly opulent” lifestyle? Now, if the Vatican were acquiring trendy art, that’d be another issue. But you’re suggesting liquidating an enduring treasure for a temporary benefit.
I think the proof is there. George Washington was a great Protestant and brought forth a free economy. Ted Kennedy, Peloski, Biden are Catholics and you see what a mess we have. ;O)
The actual Papal apartments are not very large nor very opulant. The Pope is responsible for the nourishment of the Church and Her flock, and since that includes an earthly institution it requires a degree of wealth to operate. As for the riches contained within the Vatican they are art of cultural and religious importance and are held in trust.
“The most valuable thing held by the Catholic Church is a consecrated host”
YES.
Yeah and Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were Protestants.
“George Washington was a great Protestant....Ted Kennedy, Peloski, Biden are Catholics”
First, it’s a false comparison - the latter three are not Presidents. Second, the only Catholic President was Kennedy and although I am not his biggest fan he did cut taxes, and appointed a pro-life justice to SCOTUS (Byron White).
And with God, we know our investments are good and we will have a huge return on them, don’t we?
I am all for the downfall of Mammon, but this wasn’t exactly a prediction. Cardinal Ratzinger didn’t exactly say “in the Year 2008, ...”
He said the things that Archbishop Sheen used to say. The Catholic Church in her teaching strikes a balance between two worlds, one which in place of Our Lord instead worships Mammon, or to be more specific, money and things; and another one which in place of Our Lord worships the state. The first is known as rampant, greedy, every man for himself Capitalism, and the other is easily recognized as Marxism/Communism/etc.
Fulton J. Sheen was mostly known for his railing against the latter, however, he spoke just as much about the former. He who dies with the most toys, doesn’t win, but might require a few more prayers, as we all recall the one about the rich man and the camel and the eye of the needle, and all that.
Which isn’t to say that capitalism is wrong. It isn’t. A businessman from Milwaukee once visited Blessed (Mother)Teresa in Calcutta, and he told her that after viewing her situation he suddelny felt ashamed to be so rich a man. Mother Teresa tried to console him, saying that it was his mission to build so successful a business in Milwaukee and employ as many people as possible so that her Sisters would never have to do a day’s work there.
The point is not that someone earns a boatload of money, but rather what they do with that boatload of money once they have it. The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure someone finds in a field, so wonderful that the man who finds it reburies it, sells everything he owns, and then uses that money to buy that field. Cardinal Ratzinger isn’t able to see the future. He’s just being consistent with what the Catholic Church has taught.
I also would like to point out that those “christian” televangelists live quite a bit more opulently than most folks, including our president or pope. Plant a seed of $1000.00 and lets see it work for you. Not trying to offend here, just sick of those arguments.
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I completely agree with your statement. It’s not wrong for some and then ok with another group. My argument in this thread is due to the pope pointing out greed in the world.
The popes point on greed is correct and well made. The greed in the world is what causes most if not all conflict. The fact that he owns nothing more than a couple of outfits maybe a little money from stipends, and his own bible needs to be pointed out as well. He has much at his disposal, as pope,(same as the president here) like the vehicles, drivers, vatican etc, but that all stays in the office when he leaves. Nothing is his. Steward is a better description of his role with all the churches treasures. He cannot take it with him, if you know what I mean.
I did not miss your point, and I know that one who would point out the greed issue is aware of how devestating it is. This is why our Church has all these priceless items in trust within the Church, never to leave. Greed would cause a meltdown as to ownership and the rich tradition and history would be lost forever. It is forever protected from that remaining within Christs Church.
I know many who say, why not sell it all and feed the hungry if thats what you say you believe. I answer with- Money will not stop hunger-if it could, it would have with the trillions already thrown at it. PEOPLE need to start living the gospel, then and only then will it change. You are on the right track, greed needs to stop. Unfortunately, the Enemy uses greed to destroy, so Utopia is unattainable. Ask anyone who lived in Jonestown and drank the Koolaid-absolute power corrupts absolutely.......
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