Pope Denounces'Imbalance' of Wealth

El Paso Times ^ | Sep 26, 9:35 AM EDT | AP

[wingnuts'nbolts]

The sheer hypocracy of such a statement from the leader of the richest organization in the world takes the breath away.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

It's the Protestant Work Ethic, attitude toward self-governance, and Calvinist life-style that actually led to a society with a huge middle class and comfortable life-style for anyone who would work for it --- Catholic countries like Mexico and all of Latin America maintain large class divisions and wealth for only a small handful.

Not this old crap again!

The industrial revolution truly began in Catholic Belgium with its concentration of the textile indutry, and Catholic Italy with its banking and trading empires in Genoa, Florence, Pisa, and Venice, and was spread from there after the Reformation to the Netherlands, Switzerland, and England. Numerous "capitalist-finance" terms like "policy" come from Italian, not English or Swiss-French.

Catholic countries in Latin America like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay were very well off for a broad section of the populace 100 years ago. Then socialists came to power and ruined them. It has nothing to do with their religion. Cuba is a more recent example of this phenomena.

And Calvinist-Protestant lands like Scotland remained as dirt poor as Catholic Bavaria or France into the 1800's, when they all began developing together.

The reasons for differential development in Europe after 1700 have more to do with the location of natural resources (England, the German Rhur, N. France, and Silesia have coal and iron, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Balkans don't) and the availability of capital to exploit them than anything else.

[netmilsmom]

>>Failure to go to Mass does not "un-Catholic" someone. One can only cease being a Catholic when one takes up an alternative belief system. Until demonstrated otherwise, such people should be given the benefit of the doubt<<

Sorry, but proclaiming that you have not been to mass in years and stating that you have no intention of returning does make one a "Former Catholic". It all comes down to a label.
You may be right that this person will forever be baptised Catholic and this person will be welcomed back with open arms should she follow the rules but right now she is a Former Catholic.
Actually, it's up to God and Rome, not me.
It is unfair for a "Catholic" to slam the church just like it is unfair for an American to go to another country and slam us.
That person may be "American" but you resent it as well.
Call that person what you like, she can call herself what she likes, in my book she is a Fallen Catholic. I feel John Kerry is a Pinko Commie and I feel the same way about someone slamming my country as I do my church.

[TXFireman]

"John Paul II is a good and great man, but he knows economics like Milton Friedman knows Catholic theology."

Well put.

[Little Ray]

Fine.

Strip the the cathedrals of their gilding and gold leaf. Melt down the church service plate and the jeweled reliquaries and vestments, and distribute the proceeds to the poor. THEN come talk to us.

The Catholic Church needs a lot more reforming than the "distribution of wealth" does.

Hey, Pope! Is wealth created or distributed?

[Aquinasfan]

but does he support the UN? I believe he does ---

In principle, yes. But, there's a fine line between principle and practice, which demagogues find easy to obscure.

...and I went to Mass --- and the sermon was based on this exact thing --- and you could swear a Marxist was giving the sermon --- I believe our priest is one

I wouldn't be surprised. But priests are human, and a lot of them learned this in the seminaries, unfortunately. The new class isn't supposed to be this bad.

[Coleus]

If he wishes to "spread the wealth", let him start in his own house first! >>>>

The Catholic Church with its Catholic Charities and Missions helps more poor people worldwide than any other religious group.

Jesus told all of us to help the poor. Lk 16:19-31 here is one of many citations. And that is what the Pope was trying to convey, that we should help the poor or wind up like the rich man as Jesus explained in that passage, surely you are not doubting the words of Jesus? Hey, it's up to us to help the poor, not the Vatican, not the UN and not the government.

Nice try. 

Now I suppose that only bill gates and not you, your family or people like you should help the poor? Are you communists?  I think we all should worry about ourselves and our salvation and not worry about lambasting the pope, the successor of Peter; the Vicar of Christ on Earth.

On Atheistic Communism (Divini Redemptoris) Mar 19, 1937

On Socialism (Quod Apostolici Muneris) Dec 28, 1878

On Christian Education (Rappresentanti in Terra) December 31, 1929

[latina4dubya]

yeah--and how much gold does the Vatican have at its fingertips?

[tm22721]

The Pope is irrelevant as are all of the KoolAid drinkers who bow down to him.

BUMP

[Just mythoughts]

"I think we all should worry about ourselves and our salvation and not worry about lambasting the pope, the successor of Peter; the Vicar of Christ on Earth."

I am not Catholic, however, there are many in my life who are Catholic that I love very much. Some of their lives are total wrecks and they attend mass regularly, although they are no different than many others that attend other dominations. So this is not a hate statement, rather observations gained over many years.

We are told to test the fruit, and so I have, however each individual is given the freedom to choose which path the follow.
Man cannot give to other men what is not ordained by the Heavenly Father through Christ. We each are created individually and each on his or her own merit will be judged. No preacher or priest or any other entity will stand with each individual on judgment day. That is written.

Christ said there would always be poor among you, and Paul and Peter set the example of not establishing wealth unto themselves. Paul never took a salary for his work although he did say there was nothing wrong with it.

Now I am aware of some very ungodly deeds done to mankind under the authority and sanction of the Catholic church, and by the way it is written that the House of God would stand in line for judgment first.

The truth will set you free not enslave one to organized religion.

Matthew 10:28 and fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear HIM Which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

[Coleus]

and how much gold does the Vatican have at its fingertips?
>>

the catholic church spends billions a year helping the poor. they do not have money at their fingertips
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227491/posts?page=247#247

[Dominick]

Clean your own house. Get the child molesters out of the church AND don't tell me you didn't know about it

Nothing in the Church tolerates that behavior.

I wonder why I reply to a one star troll.

[dfwgator]

You want to do something about the imbalance of wealth? Eliminate socialism entirely. Look at Cuba, they are one of the poorest countries on Earth, yet Fidel Castro is one of the richest men on the planet. And high-ranking Communist party members are also well-to-do compared with the rest of the population. Rush said it best, "the problem isn't unequal distribution of wealth, it is an unequal distribution of capitalism."

[Dominick]

Strip the the cathedrals of their gilding and gold leaf. Melt down the church service plate and the jeweled reliquaries and vestments, and distribute the proceeds to the poor. THEN come talk to us.

Most of the Wealth of the Church is in real estate. The rest on these items are really not all that valuable compared to that, but are essential in worship.

In comparison, the Church provides services that are irreplaceable in places where nobody goes, and spends billions there.

[Starhopper]

You too eh ? Im the same way. I do not agree on an international UN imposed tax as we have no idea where the money will actually go. Remember the UN oil for food scandal in Iraq. The Catholic Church does need to get its house in order before telling the rest of us how to live. I will say one thing in the Popes defence. Hes not advocating jihad.

[latina4dubya]

The more I read the post of so called catholics, the happier i am i have renounced the catholic church....

i think it's fine if you have renounced the Catholic church; however, what people including myself don't understand is, "why do you still call yourself a Catholic if you have renounced the Catholic Church?" Freepers tend to be very reasonable, thinking people--and your posts are throwing us here... it makes no sense that you still call yourself Catholic... btw--pointing out that the link you posted does not support your claim has nothing to do with unforgiveness...

[hosepipe]

[ John Paul also offered prayers on prayers for families and populations "most tried by the unfair distribution of wealth that God destines for all his children." ]

John's God must be a democrat... If God is a democrat I am a devils advocate.

[rpage3]

I suppose the Catholic Church is trying to help out on this inequality one altar boy at a time while this is in the news:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20040927/ap_on_re_us/springfield_bishop

[antceecee]

What a nice post. Offering to help Kristian to find a way to once again practice his/her faith rather than pontificating about who is the 'better' or more real Catholic. Kudos to you! You truly practice your faith by your action.

[jimfree]

How many finance and investment credentials has the pope?