I don't blame you for passing by, without comment, the one on-the-nose Scripture about the significance of Works of Mercy when the King, the Son of Man, comes in His glory to pronounce His judgment (Matthew 25). It's awkward when things don't line up exactly with your theory about how these things should go.
You also assume you understand what the Church teaches about salvation, but you do not. You erect your assumption into a "given," supposedly a Catholic axiom, which you then proceed to knock down. It's called a "straw man" argument. This makes reasonable discussion impossible.
When you combine Matthew 25 with Luke 16, it is hard to see any Biblically reasonable point of view other than something similar to Msgr. Pope's. Luke 16: 13 says,
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”If a person is serving God, he must recognize that money is "a trifle" as Luke 16:10 says. Other Scriptures recognize prudence in using money for the good of others, but none commends love of Mammon.