[The Grammarian]

I don't think the pope is a closet Communist. I think he's a distributionist, which has been the official Catholic teaching on economics since the 1800s.

I do still find his association of government intervention and authoritarianism with works of charity and aid for the poor troubling, though.

[Kolokotronis]

The origins of distributionism are found in the economic/social system of the Byzantine Empire. That system was bound up with the Imperial government which itself, for better or worse, was seen as a reproduction of the Divine Order, a system designed to foster mankind's fulfillment of its created purpose. The pope's connection of government action with good works is consistent with the history of The Church and indeed of all Christianity until, in the West, the
“Enlightenment”.

[impimp]

Official Catholic teaching on economics - distributism?!?. You are wrong. You are completely wrong. I think your post is ignorant.