Papal Message Seeks "Global Authority" for Economy

Reuters ^ | July 7, 2009 | Phillip Pullella

[TheRiverNile]

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict called on Tuesday for a "world political authority" to manage the global economy and for more government regulation of national economies to pull the world out of the current crisis and avoid a repeat.

The pope made his call for a re-think of the way the world economy is run in a new encyclical which touched on a number of social issues but whose main connecting thread was how the current crisis has affected both rich and poor nations.

Parts of the encyclical, titled "Charity in Truth," seemed bound to upset free marketeers because of its underlying rejection of unbridled capitalism and unregulated market forces, which he said had led to "thoroughly destructive" abuse of the system.

The pope said every economic decision had a moral consequence and called for "forms of redistribution" of wealth overseen by governments to help those most affected by crises.

Benedict said "there is an urgent need of a true world political authority" whose task would be "to manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result."

[TheRiverNile]

I'm shocked at this. Anybody care to explain? I've always held Pope Benedict in high esteem, so I'm baffled by this.

[rawhide]

End times coming. One world government.

[ChocChipCookie]

Mark Belling, subbing for Rush today, is commenting on this.

[cranked]

Umm, hell no.

[Always Right]

Maybe the Pope is old and tired and wants to speed up all this end times stuff.

[Glenn]

The Vatican is a global collector. What’s good for the globe is good for the church.

[Larry Lucido]

Dear Pope,

I love you, but HELL NO!

Now, kindly get back to talking ex cathedra again.

[Double Tap]

Biting my tongue very hard right now...

[Brett66]

So did he recommend taking this global economic leader’s mark on the forehead or the right hand?

[evets]

How about the 12th Mahdi?

[TSgt]

The next thing you know he’ll want us to have a mark on our forehead or hand before we can buy or sell...

[kingpins10]

You get the prize !

[Neverforget01]

Won't speak out against Obama being honored at Notre Dame but is an expert on the world economy and "social issues." Honor the the most egregious pro-abortionist President in history but call for a Global Economic Authority.

My Pope is an embarrassment.

[Willie Green]

I think we're already doing this one on this thread.

[PeterPrinciple]

Benedict said “there is an urgent need of a true world political authority” whose task would be “to manage the global economy

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I always thought God’s plan for a year of jubilee had some merit.......................

[Artemis Webb]

Really there is nothing new here. The Church has always been somewhat socialistic as they see government as a key component to helping the world’s poor.

[Arkinsaw]

Very naive. Very naive. He has let his concern for humans outweigh what he ought to know of human nature.

There is no global authority that can, or will be, moral.

[rawhide]

O’ goody! What did I win?

[jimfree]

He’s a great moral leader; he’s a great economic illiterate.

[wastedyears]

He cannot be serious.