Posted on 07/07/2009 10:30:02 AM PDT by 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Editorial by John-Henry Westen
July 8, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Newspapers, blogs, talk-shows on radio and television are full of discussion over Pope Benedict XVI’s supposed call for a “new world order” or a “one-world government.” These ideas are, however, neither based in reality nor a clear reading of the Pope’s latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, the release of which yesterday spawned the heated discussion.
The Pope actually speaks directly against a one-world government, and, as would be expected from those who have read his previous writings, calls for massive reform of the United Nations. Confusion seems to have come from paragraph 67 of the encyclical, which has some choice pull-quotes which have spiced the pages of the world’s news, from the New York Times to those of conspiracy theorist bloggers seeing the Pope as the Anti-Christ.
The key quote which has led to the charge reads: “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; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.”
However, in paragraph 41, the Holy Father specifically differentiates his concept of a world political authority from that of a one-world government. “We must,” he says “promote a dispersed political authority.” He explains that “The integrated economy of the present day does not make the role of States redundant, but rather it commits governments to greater collaboration with one another. Both wisdom and prudence suggest not being too precipitous in declaring the demise of the State. In terms of the resolution of the current crisis, the State’s role seems destined to grow, as it regains many of its competences. In some nations, moreover, the construction or reconstruction of the State remains a key factor in their development.”
Later in the encyclical (57) he speaks of the opposite concept to one- world government -subsidiarity (the principle of Catholic social teaching which states that matters ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest or least centralized competent authority) - as being essential. “In order not to produce a dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature, the governance of globalization must be marked by subsidiarity,” says the Pope.
Another of the key quotes which is being extracted for shock value from the encyclical is this: “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.”
Since long before his papacy, Joseph Ratzinger has vigorously fought the United Nations’ vision of a ‘New World Order’. As early as 1997, and repeated subsequently, Ratzinger took public aim at such a vision, noting that the philosophy coming from UN conferences and the Millennium Summit “proposes strategies to reduce the number of guests at the table of humanity, so that the presumed happiness [we] have attained will not be affected.”
“At the base of this New World Order”, he said is the ideology of “women’s empowerment,” which erroneously sees “the principal obstacles to [a woman’s] fulfillment [as] the family and maternity.” The then-cardinal advised that “at this stage of the development of the new image of the new world, Christians - and not just them but in any case they even more than others - have the duty to protest.”
Benedict XVI in fact repeats those criticisms in the new encyclical. In Caritas in Veritate, the Pope slams “practices of demographic control, on the part of governments that often promote contraception and even go so far as to impose abortion.” He also denounces international economic bodies such as the IMF and World Bank (without specifically naming them) for their lending practices which tie aid to so-called ‘family planning.’ “There is reason to suspect that development aid is sometimes linked to specific health-care policies which de facto involve the imposition of strong birth control measures,” says the encyclical.
Any vision of a proper ordering of the world, of international economics or political cooperation, suggests the Pope, must be based on a “moral order.” That includes first and foremost “the fundamental right to life” from conception to natural death, the recognition of the family based on marriage between one man and one woman as the basis of society and freedom for faith and cooperation among all peoples based on principles of natural law.
You wrote:
“What is the Scriptural evidence for subsidiarity?”
Every page. God started with two people and at the end there will only be a remnant. Through out all of salvation history, God worked through the small, weak and simple.
“When I read the article, I am tempted by the meanings in the article to shift into a worldly mode of thinking, independent of faith in Christ. That is sin. I’m simply searching for the fruit in the article, born from faith in Christ, as opposed to a counterfeit system of order, independent of faith through Christ.”
Then you had better start actually thinking about what the Bible says. You won’t find the word “subsidiarity” anymore than you’ll find the words “Trinity” or “Bible”. That doesn’t mean the idea is not there.
I wish more Protestants would realize that some early Protestants had no difficulty seeing the point of subsidiarity and even wrote in support of it in politics and society. The works of Johannes Althusius, a Dutch Calvinist, come to mind imediately.
Pope: Solidarity,Subsidiarity Reflect the Trinity
5/6/2008
Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)
“the solidarity that binds the human family, and the subsidiary levels reinforcing it from within, must however always be placed within the horizon of the mysterious life of the Triune God, in whom we perceive an ineffable love shared by equal, though nonetheless distinct, Persons.”
Advertisement
VATICAN CITY (Zenit) - Faith in the Trinity enlightens the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity proposed by Catholic social doctrine, says Benedict XVI.
The Pope affirmed this Saturday when he addressed participants in the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. Their meeting is focused on “Pursuing the Common Good: How Solidarity and Subsidiarity Can Work Together.” It began Friday and continues through Tuesday.
“How can solidarity and subsidiarity work together in the pursuit of the common good in a way that not only respects human dignity, but allows it to flourish?” the Holy Father asked. “This is the heart of the matter which concerns you.”
And though certain elements can help to understand these concepts, he said, “the solidarity that binds the human family, and the subsidiary levels reinforcing it from within, must however always be placed within the horizon of the mysterious life of the Triune God, in whom we perceive an ineffable love shared by equal, though nonetheless distinct, Persons.”
He continued: “My friends, I invite you to allow this fundamental truth to permeate your reflections: not only in the sense that the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity are undoubtedly enriched by our belief in the Trinity, but particularly in the sense that these principles have the potential to place men and women on the path to discovering their definitive, supernatural destiny.
“The natural human inclination to live in community is confirmed and transformed by the ‘oneness of Spirit,’ which God has bestowed upon his adopted sons and daughters.
“Consequently, the responsibility of Christians to work for peace and justice, their irrevocable commitment to build up the common good, is inseparable from their mission to proclaim the gift of eternal life to which God has called every man and woman.”
Serving all people
Benedict XVI explained that with faith, it is possible to see that “the heavenly and earthly cities interpenetrate and are intrinsically ordered to one another, inasmuch as they both belong to God the Father.”
“At the same time,” he continued, “faith places into sharper focus the due autonomy of earthly affairs, insofar as they are ‘endowed with their own stability, truth, goodness, proper laws and order.’”
The Pope affirmed to the pontifical academy that “you can be assured that your discussions will be of service to all people of good will, while simultaneously inspiring Christians to embrace more readily their obligation to enhance solidarity with and among their fellow citizens, and to act upon the principle of subsidiarity by promoting family life, voluntary associations, private initiative, and a public order that facilitates the healthy functioning of society’s most basic communities.”
BTW, if it does exist, I would think a fellow believer in Christ who sought to perform any good work through faith in Christ, would go to great lengths to avoid promoting any worldly thinking independent of faith in Christ, hence would trash the entire article and its mode of thinking.
No, this is Catholic-speak; something that has been perfected over the course of centuries. Questions are always answered as:
What!!! You don't know about (fill in the blank). Why you ignorant savage. Go and educate yourself and then come back.
or
You should know that A is like B unless we say that A is not like B in which case it isn't. However, we will not explain to you the difference of A to B except to say that if we say they are different then they are except where we say they are the same. And if you are too ignorant to understand WHEN A and B are alike and WHEN A and B are different, well then there is really nothing we can do about your lack of education.
While you are constantly whining about “anti-Catholics”, you are also constantly trashing and insulting Protestants. You need to recognize your own prejudice and hatred toward Protestants and stop ignoring the “board in your own eye”.
Then we could have an “adult conversation”.
We need to get over this intra Christian warfare going on because 1) It’s not “Christian”, 2) We have the same enemies which, in this country, it’s the Secular Left/Marxists, Militant Homos and Atheists. Internationally, it’s Islam and Communism which isn’t dead by a longshot.
All of these groups hate us with a passion. Many Catholics and Protestants have been working together to combat these foes for a long time. For our Lord’s sake as well as our own, it’s time we all got with the program.
What makes you think that disarmament and international socialism are the way to world peace?
Cordially
You wrote:
“While you are constantly whining about “anti-Catholics”, you are also constantly trashing and insulting Protestants.”
Most of the Protestants I am dealing with here are anti-Catholic. I do not insult or trash Protestants. I merely tell the truth about Protestantism and its devastaing effects on culture and the minds of its adherents.
“You need to recognize your own prejudice and hatred toward Protestants and stop ignoring the “board in your own eye”.”
My view of Protestantism is based on the fact that Protestantism is he result of rebellion against God and His Church. I have no hatred for Protestantism though I hate the fact that they often serve Satan by attacking Christ’s Church and the gospel He gave it. If you’ll notice, ConservativeMind is practicaly foaming at the mouth. Go back and read his posts. You simply don’t see Catholics here acting that way.
“Then we could have an “adult conversation”.”
On my end I am having an adult conversation. Look at my posts. Where do I use language or insults as ConsevativeMind does?
“We need to get over this intra Christian warfare going on because 1) It’s not “Christian”, 2) We have the same enemies which, in this country, it’s the Secular Left/Marxists, Militant Homos and Atheists.”
Which are all products of rampant liberal Protestant beliefs. Socialism and Marxism are products of 18th and 19th century Calvinism distorted with supposedly “modern scientific” views, given currency in the French Revolution (which was heavily imbued with latter day Protestant indifferentism), and the social gospel of the 19th century. Militant homosexuals are emboldened by a view of freedom where all is allowed as long “as no one gets hurt” - which is a product again of that Protestant view of “freedom”. This view has infected the whole world wherever Westernes have mad an impact. And about atheism, as Pope Pius X noted a century ago, “The first step in this direction was taken by Protestantism; the second is made by Modernism; the next will plunge headlong into atheism.” Protestantism ultimately leads to atheism.
By opposing the rebellion against God and His Church that is Protestantism, I oppose all that you mentioned (”Secular Left/Marxists, Militant Homos and Atheists”) at their collective root.
“Internationally, it’s Islam and Communism which isn’t dead by a longshot.”
And Islam and Communism have never found a greater enemy on this earth than the Catholic Church. We were battling Islam more than 700 years before the first Protestant took his first breath.
“All of these groups hate us with a passion. Many Catholics and Protestants have been working together to combat these foes for a long time. For our Lord’s sake as well as our own, it’s time we all got with the program.”
I am with the program, the real program, the one sent by Christ. I have no problem working with Protestants, but I will never stop condemning the revolt against God and His Church called Protestantism. Islam opposes God and His Church. So does communism. So does Protestantism, only less so. I never lose sight of that fact.
We can act all we want but it’s not going to happen. We can only achieve peace in our own lives by living His way.
Welllllll
by alllll means,
enlighten us ‘ignorant’ Prottys!
Wholesale !WRONG!
!!WRONG!!
As eternity will show.
I have no hatred of any authentically Christian organization . . . even wholesale-in-error ones.
I do hate what God hates . . .
e.g. idolatry . . .
deception . . .
hero worship . . .
putting things other than God first.
SUBSTITUTING RITUAL, SHAM AND PRETENSE for RELATIONSHIP.
. . .
I didn’t say I personally thought that. I said the Pope has every right to believe he’s acting in the best interests of the world.
DUH!
The forbidden hideously appears again.
!!!WRONG!!!
Though it is comforting to notice such a seeming inability to respond meaningfully to the points posted.
I make no conjectures either.
= = = =
I thought the Vatican, Roman Catholocism
had been able to wrap it’s mind around the hypothetical centuries ago.
Oh, right . . . that would get into a logical defense of the assertions . . . admittedly a MOST difficult challenge.
The above is a much wiser escape hatch, no doubt.
DING! DING! DING!
BRING OUT THE AWARD!
SOLID BIBLICAL LOGICAL THINKING! What a WINNER!
Thanks. Sometimes there’s such a dearth of the quality of your example on these threads.
You wrote:
“enlighten us ‘ignorant’ Prottys!”
Only the Holy Spirit can enlighten those who oppose God and His Church.
You wrote:
“Wholesale !WRONG!”
Rejoinders are certainly not your forte. Nor is reasoned thought.
I don't dispute that the Pope has every right to believe he’s acting in the best interests of the world, but that is not what you said. You said for one to say that the Pope shouldn’t be fighting for world peace because it will never happen is like saying we should be whatever person we want to be because perfection is not possible.
Your comparison is not even coherent absent the tacit assumption that the Pope is actually fighting for world peace. That's why I asked you about the methods he proposes to attain "world peace".
Now if you're going to just say that he means well, as if good intentions are all that count, regardless of the actual results were his socialist proposals ever implemented, then I would profoundly disagree with you.
Cordially,
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