Posted on 05/24/2014 8:00:09 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Pope Francis is not endorsing socialism with his recent calls for the haves to do much more for the have-nots, Cardinal Timothy Dolan writes in The Wall Street Journal, but he does believe capitalism must come with "compassion and generosity."
"From media reports, one might think that the only thing on the Pope's mind was government redistribution of property, as if he were denouncing capitalism and endorsing some form of socialism," Dolan writes in a Friday Op-Ed piece.
"This is unfortunate, because it overlooks the principal focus of Pope Francis ' economic teaching — that economic and social activity must be based on the virtues of compassion and generosity."
Francis last fall delivered what has been called a "Magna Carta for church reform" in his first apostolic exhortation when decried "an economy of exclusion and inequality.
"Just as the commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say 'thou shalt not' to an economy of exclusion and inequality," he wrote in the 84-page document.
"Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?"
He has since given several high-profile speeches pressing his views, including one to the World Economic Conference in January and most recently two weeks ago to the United Nations.
There he called for "the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society."
Critics have called Francis everything from a radical Marxist to the commie pope.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Pope Francis should try to make it less about Pope Francis.
The looters have taken over
As well as trying to read news stories about what Pope Francis says on issues, I also read news stories about what various orthodox patriarchs say on issues, such as Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.
Now, both men are foreign to me, from very different cultures from my own with their own languages. Why does it seem that none of these other Christian leaders need a million people to ‘clarify’ what they say. Shouldn’t a papal criteria be that you are clear and resolute?
The more I hear, the more I think religious figures should keep their commentary within the framework of what God has given us guidance on. God most definitely talks about our duty to the poor and destitute, but nowhere does He give us a righteous Christian economic model for a nation. With that in mind, how can the Pope discuss such things from the seat of Papal authority? Where is his guidance coming from?
Religion and politics are inseparably intertwined, but when giving the Biblical perspective on a politically charged issue, one should only speak on behalf of the divine, lest people mistake our personal opinions for the Word of God.
After one year, two months and eleven days, Pope Selfie has obliterated the record for most statements needing clarification by a public figure. A long vow of silence might be a good idea, but it would drive His Humbleness to madness.
To allow the state to give more to the poor, you have to empower the state. I would say that the less power the government has, the better off the poor will ultimately be.
Oh yes he is...and my weekly envelope will be empty until he stops.
The church and the state have two different jobs and the Pope shouldn’t be trying ti enlist the govt to do his job...govt will trample everyone.
Of course not; that's the Church's job.
Pope Peron II
Uh yeah. he is embracing socialism.
Dolan...is that the pro-gay guy?
Dolan is the guy who loves amnesty and New York state’s SAFE Act...the gun-grabbing act. No thanks.
Maybe the good Pope should put some constraints on socialists, communists, and liberals, too, just to be fair.
Perhaps Pope Francis is not socialist, but the theologians followers of the Marxist Liberation Theology consider that the Pope is one of them and were elated with his election. In fact, one of the Pope’s closest collaborators, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,Cardinal Muller, (himself a pupil of Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, putative father liberation theology) has declared that pope Francis and the liberation theologians have close ties.
re: “There he called for “the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state. . .”
That’s enough right there to cause me to puke. The “legitimate” redistribution of wealth?? And just who decides that?
We don’t have free market capitalism now anyway. We have crony capitalism. Get the government out of playing favorites in the private sector. Get rid of the excessive governmental regulations that do nothing but suppress economic growth.
Yes. They guy that said “Bravo!” to a guy for “coming out.” The guy that pretended not to know that a gay marriage bill was about to voted on in Albany. Dolan is among the many bishops who insist that pro-abortion Catholics must be given Communion—which is a mortal sin. Dolan is the guy who said that the pro-abortion governor of New York (David Paterson) is “a Catholic who takes his Christian faith very seriously.”
Dolan is a glad-handing, bloviating disgrace.
Yes, why would any serious Catholic listen to Dolan.
The Church’s doctrine of subsidiarity is an endorsement of capitalism.
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition 2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
No serious human being cares an iota about what Dolan allegedly “thinks.”
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