Yeah, Doc. Sure he is.
The "problem" does not lie with the Church. The "problem" lies with the world economy. It was brought to its knees by precisely the issues which the Pope addresses in the encyclical.
It's nice to see some prominent Protestants having the fairness to acknowledge that fact.
“It was brought to its knees by precisely the issues which the Pope addresses in the encyclical.”
No, it was brought to its knees by government interference. Church interference won’t make it function any better.
Actually, the church is the biggest problem. (I'm not just speaking of the Roman Catholic church here, but the whole body of Christ.)
So many expect government to take on the role of helping the needy that Jesus expects the church to fulfill. So many expect the government to empty the wallets of others to provide for the needy instead of emptying their own wallets to do so.
The world economy was "brought to its knees" not by capitalism but by socialistic forces already within the government that your pope wants to increase.
Comments like yours and your pope's encyclical belong on DU.
But since the majority of American Roman Catholics voted for Obama, I shouldn't be surprised. The RCC is a top-down, authoritarian hierarchy governed by a kind of "infallible" potentate who preaches wealth redistribution, labor unions, social justice and enforcement "with teeth." The "problem" lies very much with the RCC.