I’m a little puzzled, because he never says “wealth redistribution” and yet the press and 95% of the Freeper universe is claiming that he was out there urging the seizure of property...
He urges personal charity and tells government institutions that they must make sure that wealth benefits everybody. Governments already collect taxes on individuals and businesses and other forms of income and even wealth, so it’s not as if nobody was paying taxes until the Pope came along. But in some countries, even where the wealthy pay a huge percentage in taxes...the poor still don’t have running water in their villages, there’s about one watt of electricity available, and the police services are so corrupt that crime is out of control so people don’t even have basic stability.
I think he’s a little too trusting that the state will be honorable - which is a puzzling attitude for an Argentinian! - but I certainly don’t think he’s advocating for Marxism.
I agree with. The press puts words in his mouth. The pope IS too trusting that governments will be honorable. I think that many popes have suffered from that mistaken belief.