Posted on 05/09/2014 7:11:05 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The latest speech from Pope Francis is leading Drudge and the Twittersphere, and for good reason. Any time a world leader talks about “legitimate redistribution” in regard to economic policy, it raises eyebrows, if not hackles. In the case of this pontiff, the highlight of that phrase provokes heightened scrutiny. However, the longer context of Francis’ remarks this morning to UN leadership provides a much more nuanced picture of Francis’ view of economic policy — although probably not nuanced enough for libertarian ears:
With this in mind, I would like to remind you, as representatives of the chief agencies of global cooperation, of an incident which took place two thousand years ago and is recounted in the Gospel of Saint Luke (19:1-10). It is the encounter between Jesus Christ and the rich tax collector Zacchaeus, as a result of which Zacchaeus made a radical decision of sharing and justice, because his conscience had been awakened by the gaze of Jesus. This same spirit should be at the beginning and end of all political and economic activity. The gaze, often silent, of that part of the human family which is cast off, left behind, ought to awaken the conscience of political and economic agents and lead them to generous and courageous decisions with immediate results, like the decision of Zacchaeus. Does this spirit of solidarity and sharing guide all our thoughts and actions, I ask myself?
Today, in concrete terms, an awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God’s providence has placed in our hands, material goods but also intellectual and spiritual ones, and to give back generously and lavishly whatever we may have earlier unjustly refused to others.
The account of Jesus and Zacchaeus teaches us that above and beyond economic and social systems and theories, there will always be a need to promote generous, effective and practical openness to the needs of others. Jesus does not ask Zacchaeus to change jobs nor does he condemn his financial activity; he simply inspires him to put everything, freely yet immediately and indisputably, at the service of others. Consequently, I do not hesitate to state, as did my predecessors (cf. JOHN PAUL II,Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 42-43; Centesimus Annus, 43; BENEDICT XVI, Caritas in Veritate, 6; 24-40), that equitable economic and social progress can only be attained by joining scientific and technical abilities with an unfailing commitment to solidarity accompanied by a generous and disinterested spirit of gratuitousness at every level. A contribution to this equitable development will also be made both by international activity aimed at the integral human development of all the world’s peoples and by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.
Consequently, while encouraging you in your continuing efforts to coordinate the activity of the international agencies, which represents a service to all humanity, I urge you to work together in promoting a true, worldwide ethical mobilization which, beyond all differences of religious or political convictions, will spread and put into practice a shared ideal of fraternity and solidarity, especially with regard to the poorest and those most excluded.
In this case, the term “legitimate” is a limiting factor when redistribution is placed in the context of the Gospel story of Zacchaeus. Who was Zaccheaus? He was a tax collector — an agent of the government — who overtaxed and profited from his cheating. In Luke 19, Jesus’ visit to Jericho inspires this sinner and cheater to repent when Jesus extends an invitation to join him. What does Zacchaeus do in response? He proclaims his intent to redistribute his ill-gotten gains back to those whom he defrauded, and to willingly and privately share his wealth with the poor. ”And Zacchae’us stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
In this exhortation, Francis links legitimate redistribution — ie, social benefits that almost every nation distributes in some form or another — with the larger efforts in the private sphere. Francis calls more for the conversion of the heart in private transactions in this exhortation more than any change in public policy. Much like conservatives like to profess in other contexts, Francis argues here that culture is upstream of politics. If we change hearts to be more generous and less attached to the hoarding of wealth as Jesus did with Zacchaeus, then there will be less need for governments to redistribute by force.
This may not be the most conservative or libertarian expression of economic policies, but it’s basic Catholic teaching on economics for decades, if not centuries. The lesson of Zacchaeus isn’t that government should seize more private property, but that private citizens should convert to a greater love of God and therefore have more solidarity with the poor. Those who oppose social-benefit programs will still find fault with Francis on this point, and there’s plenty of room for debate as to what constitutes “legitimate” efforts in that sphere. It’s clear, though, that he wasn’t calling for widespread and massive confiscation of wealth by governments. In fact, the story of Zacchaeus points out the dangers and injustice that result from that kind of policy.
Just remember — when the media provides only small soundbites of Pope Francis, it pays to read the entirety of his remarks, and to know and understand the teachings behind them.
This Pope lives in a world of his own.
May be nuanced in Morrissey’s mind but the rest of the world will see a pope promoting socialism. I find it hard to disagree.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shoes_of_the_Fisherman
THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN
At his papal coronation, Kiril removes his tiara (in a gesture of humility) and states this intent to give away a majority of Church’s riches, much to the delight of the crowds in St. Peter’s Square below.
He could always go this route .
Yes, Frankie, but the way I remember the story, nobody put a gun to Zaccheus’s head to compel him to donate money against his will.
Right?
Let us not forget -
Zachaeus was a dishonest tax collector for the government, ie, a typical leftist gov’t employee.
The media will always deviate from the actual statement of redistribution of wealth from a cultural aspect to that of redistribution of wealth from the wealthy. Keep in mind it is not the wealthy wealthy it is the middle class that will be destroyed. This is the aspect that media does not want the people to know. The media in America is Obama’s foot soldier his army, vast strong and radically funded to destroy America’s middle class
Quote- by the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the State
The state handing out checks doesn’t give the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the glory..
The state gets the glory.. and the praise..
Now if his church wants to dip into the war chest and start handing out the goodies, that would be nice.
IB4TPWMA
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.
-- from the thread Encycli-bites for reading “Caritas in veritate”
Dear Sir,
They did tried that in france a couple of hundred years ago. It did not exactly go as planned.
Since then they have tried it in about 30 other countries. Guess what? It didn't exactly go as planned those times either.
The end result was, million of people dead, millions enslaved in camps and billions living in dire poverty when there was no need.
Now you want the entire world to try it at once?
Have you thought this through?
Best
HTB
I always thought that sounded weaselly. Why the "IF"? Why not say "and the people I cheated I will pay back four times"?
I don't know, maybe it is an artifact of the translation.
The political implications taint the perfectly fine pastoral encouragements.
“This may not be the most conservative or libertarian expression of economic policies, but it’s basic Catholic teaching on economics for decades, if not centuries”
So, if you’re Catholic, and an economic conservative, you are basically promoting a heretical view?
Eventually Catholics will get tired of this nonsense.
“I always thought that sounded weaselly. Why the “IF”? Why not say “and the people I cheated I will pay back four times”?”
Why?
Perhaps because of ‘presumption of innocence’.
Ah, infallibility!
I don’t understand your point. Who do you think is supposed to be doing the presuming? Jesus didn’t have to presume, He know.
He wasn’t speaking ex-cathedra on this issue/
"Political and economic agents" - IOW those with the power to tax and redistribute wealth? That appears to be what he is implying.
In the 80’s we had Reagan and Pope JPII reinforcing each others message of freedom and ultimately ripping communism from Europe.
Now we have Obama and this Pope reinforcing each others message of dependence and socialism - and ripping out the foundations of capitalism, and indeed all of western civilization.
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