Pope Francis: Zacchaeus and “legitimate redistribution”

Hotair ^ | 05/09/2014 | Ed Morrissey

[redgolum]

It is going to get interesting. Wonder what will happen when he goes and says that divorce carries little penalty.

[DManA]

Consider who his audience was - statist thugs. Try to imagine what THEY heard. "Good work boys, do more."

That appears to be what he is implying.

[Invincibly Ignorant]

He wasn’t speaking ex-cathedra on this issue

Christ's vicar on earth has an "on/off" switch? Convenient.

[Salvation]

Good point.

[newheart]

Thanks for this post. It always takes some clarification after the Pope's words are run through the media filter and Morrissey does a great job of that.

For those who only look at the pictures instead of reading the articles, they should please read at least this one line:

It’s clear, though, that he wasn’t calling for widespread and massive confiscation of wealth by governments.

And it might be wise to remember that another of the most important lessons of the story of Zacchaeus is that Jesus was reaching out to a social pariah extending his grace, just as he did to lepers and prostitutes and (as he would do today) "typical left wing bureaucrats."

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Christ’s vicar on earth has an “on/off” switch? Convenient.

____________________________________

I am not catholic, but I don’t try to define their beliefs for them.

Here is how they define Papal Infallibility:

The Pope is preserved from the possibility of error “when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.”

I don’t think personal opinion on economics is included or applies.

[itssme]

We're in trouble here. The Pope is the last person I thought I'd be betrayed by. He knows full well what he is asking. You would not hear this coming from Pope John Paul II. My prayers are to Pope John Paul II and the good Lord to help us in this fight against socialism/communism/marxism.

Pope John Paul II was a fighter, a good man and very special. Who exactly IS Pope Francis? We must demand that he repeat his message, repeat it so we can make sure we have not misunderstood his meaning.

[mikrofon]

IIRC, Matthew was also a tax collector – and you did NOT read that Christ sent him back to his post with the Romans to continue “redistributing” the wealth…

[Salvation]

I venture to say, but I don’t have a source — just my opinion.

The Catholic Church is there to help all in disasters, many in their local areas, in fact, they are the number one giver of assistance to the truly needy.

[Salvation]

Quoting from the KJV since I know you can find it in your Bible.

King James Bible
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

 

King James Bible
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

The Sheep and the Goats
…43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44"Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'…

 

The Sheep and the Goats
…39'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;…

[Mr Rogers]

"It’s clear, though, that he wasn’t calling for widespread and massive confiscation of wealth by governments."

Well, OK, he did not use the words "massive" or "widespread", but he did call for states to redistribute the wealth of their people, according to some concept of legitimacy:

"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."

[Salvation]

It’s in the Bible. It has nothing to do with the Pope.

[Mr Rogers]

Hmmm...”Inasmuch as ye have voted for your government to do it unto one of the least of these my brethren, according to governmental accounting of good and evil instead of My Will, ye have done it unto me”?

[MrB]

“by the State”

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS MEANS

“at gunpoint”.

[Salvation]

Is this a personal attack? I did not vote for Obama.

[Salvation]

**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. **

One of the prime examples of evangelization and conversion.

[Salvation]

Are you mocking the Bible? I always thought you above this kind of thing. God bless.

[newheart]

You are right, as Morrissey also points out, that the debate hinges on the term “legitimate.” If we assume that the State ought to play absolutely no role in the distribution of social benefits, then we would do just as well to have no government at all. As tempting as that sounds, the result would be chaos. The Pope is not some closeted Marxist and is willing to speak to the flaws in the economic systems of both the Left and the Right.

[Gamecock]

***Who was Zaccheaus?***

If I remember my Sunday school lessons correctly correctly Zaccheaus was a wee little man.

[rollo tomasi]

"...made a radical decision of sharing and justice..."

A tax collector who overcharge with the backing of Roman power repents and quits overcharging along with righteously giving back the money to the people he ripped off in the first place has what to do with government confiscation by gunpoint for redistribution purposes again?

The Pope or this "mistranslation" are being



I don't know if the Pope laid out specifics, but the vagueness of an issue of government redistribution and taxation is very complicated. If left undefined and vague, politicians can run wild over the bewildered Roman Catholics seeking to covet the wealth of others.