Posted on 04/13/2007 7:27:06 PM PDT by 69ConvertibleFirebird
Pope's New Book Criticizes Capitalism
By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press Writer
| VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI offers a personal meditation on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in his first book as pontiff, criticizing the "cruelty" of capitalism's exploitation of the poor but also decrying the absence of God in Marxism. In "Jesus of Nazareth," released Friday, Benedict touches on themes that have begun to emerge in his 2-year-old papacy: the spiritual weaknesses of modern materialistic life, in which people seem to think they can do without God. The book also points to a concern of Benedict from his days as prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when he sought to stem support for "liberation theology"—the theology of salvation as liberation from injustice, popular in Latin America. Benedict stresses that the book, which he began writing in 2003 when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, is an expression of his "personal search for the face of the Lord" and is by no means an official part of Roman Catholic Church doctrine. "Everyone is free, then, to contradict me," he says. Benedict—a prolific theologian well before he became pope—sets out to give a thorough examination of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' public ministry to arrive at the foundation of the Christian faith: that Jesus is God. "What did Jesus truly bring, if he didn't bring peace to the world, well-being for all and a better world?" he asks. "The answer is very simple: God. He brought God." The 448-page book is due in bookstores in German, Italian and Polish on Monday, the pope's 80th birthday. The English-language edition is set for release May 15 and translations are planned for 16 other languages. The book is the first of two volumes: Rizzoli, the book's Italian publisher, said Benedict is expected to write a second volume exploring the birth of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection. "Jesus of Nazareth" covers several key points of Jesus' public life and ministry, including an entire chapter on his sermon on the mount, in which he praises the poor, the meek and the hungry in the "Beatitudes." Benedict then reflects on how the sermon is relevant in today's world. "After the experiences of totalitarian regimes, after the brutal way in which they trampled on men, mocked, enslaved and beat the weak, we understand anew those who hunger and thirst for justice," Benedict writes. "Confronted with the abuse of economic power, with the cruelty of capitalism that degrades man into merchandise, we have begun to see more clearly the dangers of wealth and we understand in a new way what Jesus intended in warning us about wealth." Benedict continues that message in another chapter on the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, and the need to love one's neighbor. In it, Benedict decries how the wealthy have "plundered" Africa and the Third World, both materially and spiritually, through colonialism. He criticizes lifestyles of the wealthy, citing "victims of drugs, of human trafficking, of sexual tourism, people destroyed on the inside, who are empty despite the abundance of their material goods." Rich countries continue to do harm to the Third World by giving aid that is purely technical in nature, he says. "This aid has set apart religious, moral and social structures that existed and introduced their technical mentality in the void," he writes. In another chapter, however, Benedict sharply criticizes Marxism, saying it excluded God from life. "Where God is considered only a secondary greatness that you can temporarily or permanently put aside for the sake of more important things, those important things fail," he writes. "The negative outcome of the Marxist experience demonstrates that." But despite Benedict's praise of Jesus' social justice teachings, it would be wrong to conclude that Benedict was endorsing the view of Jesus as a "social reformer" as he is often portrayed in "liberation theology," said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, archbishop of Vienna and a friend of the pope. Some versions of "liberation theology" are at variance with church teaching because they view Christ as a mere social liberator. The Vatican has objected to liberation theology, citing its basis in Marxist analysis of society—particularly the idea of class struggle in the promotion of social, political and economic justice for the poor. Schoenborn referred to Benedict's tough stance on "liberation theology" during a Vatican presentation of the book, saying: "The innumerable fanciful images of Jesus as a revolutionary, as a moderate social reformer, as the secret lover of Mary Magdalene, etc. ... can be calmly deposited in the ossuary of history." Asked about Benedict's musings on "liberation theology," Schoenborn noted that the pope "will certainly shed light on the orientation of a true liberation theology" when he travels to Brazil on May 9-14. While "Jesus of Nazareth" is Benedict's first book as pope, he has written dozens of books on all aspects of theology and Catholic teaching.
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Pope's New Book Criticizes Communism
or
Pope's New Book Criticizes Totalitarian Regimes
But, no... it's those EEeeeeevvviill capitalists.
I wonder what the Pope thinks about The Parable of the Talents?
The pope is an idiot. Nothing else to say.
Take a minor point, misinterpret it, and stick it in the headline.
I haven’t had a chance to read this book, although I’ve read several of his other books. But I’d venture a guess that this brief quotation is closer to the heart of his message:
“What did Jesus truly bring, if he didn’t bring peace to the world, well-being for all and a better world?” he asks. “The answer is very simple: God. He brought God.”
Good Point, 69FC. The way I read it, Pope Benedict criticizes the danger of replacing God with one form of economic policy or another. I doubt the Pope is trying to be an economics expert.
I’ll wait to read the book myself before reaching any conclusions.
“Where God is considered only a secondary greatness that you can temporarily or permanently put aside for the sake of more important things, those important things fail,” he writes.
A Godless (or God-is-less) capitalism is as evil as any other ism born of man.
Missionaries traveled along with explorers, traders, and colonists. Both capitalism and Christianity spread together. Now the "Third World" is becoming a center of high-tech. "Plunder" my foot! If he wants to go down that road, where does he think the gold and jewels came from that adorned churches and clergy through the centuries?
Capitalism doesn't mean all out materialism. Socalist leaders (democrats included) are about all out materialism. Sadly, many are ignorant of this.
Uh oh, no more Pope-mobiles designed and manufactured by capitalists. No more pace-makers manufactured by capitalists. No more artificial hips manufactured by capitalists. No more medications researched and provided by capitalists. No more designer robes provided by capitalistic Parisian designers. Guess all of the above will have to come from Cuba as the Pope ages (his predessor utilized all of the above, BTW).
I just love worthless comments!
"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." John Adams (The Works of John Adams, ed. C. F. Adams, Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1851, 4:31)
From my quick read of the article I really think that the headline is the “news” writer’s opinion, and hope (trying to convince people of it without it being true). The Pope blasts totalitarian regimes, etc.
There, corrected a bit......
An AP Writer would intentionally slant an article!
(/sarcasm)
The word "Capitalism" was coined by Marxists to describe Free Markets and freedom. Yah'shua did not warn against wealth!
b'shem Yah'shua
1) Must hate the U.S.A.
2) Must think Algore is a god.
3) Etc.
I’ll try to take a different approach from the knee-jerk reaction of other posters on this thread.
I think the Pope’s intent was to point out how a Godless (or amoral if you will) capitalist system is wrong. A manager who forces his employees to work under inhumane conditions because they have no better alternatives is behaving sinfully. Denying safety equipment to workers simply to save a buck would be one example. Having read other Catholic writings on the subject I feel safe in assuming this to be the holy father’s position.
Communism or totalitarian systems are always wrong because the replace God with the state. A capitalist system is only wrong when one party treats the other sinfully.
I believe that you understand his point, many here will not.
A change isn’t necessarily a correction.
Europeans are for the most part socialists and from birth they are indoctinated to believe that capitalism preys on the poor minorities. Spend 10 minutes arguing with them and their arguments collapse totally and they have nothing left to say. Most of them don’t even realize the extensive welfare and safety net programs in place in the US to care for the indigent.
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