Posted on 03/14/2013 6:19:02 AM PDT by LucianOfSamasota
The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, has called for an ethical response to solve the problem of social debt, saying that, not only do terrorism, repression and murder violate human rights, but also extreme poverty and the “unjust economic structures that give rise to great inequalities.”
Social debt is “immoral, unjust and illegitimate,” the cardinal said, emphasizing that this is especially true when it occurs “in a nation that has the objective conditions for avoiding or correcting such harm.” “Unfortunately,” he noted, it seems that those same countries “opt for exacerbating inequalities even more.”
Argentineans have the duty “to work to change the structural causes and personal or corporate attitudes that give rise to this situation (of poverty), and through dialogue reach agreements that allow us to transform this painful reality we refer to when we speak about social debt,” the prelate said.
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicnewsagency.com ...
The "wealth" of the Vatican has been accumulated over centuries, and much of it is illiquid. There is priceless art, such as Michelangelo's frescoes, the Pieta, and the Bernini sculptures, but all would be difficult to value and sell.
I do think that God wants us to live to our full potential, and care for those who are not fully there yet. I think he also wants us to help those who could not help themselves, but the challenge I have is separating those who cannot, from those who WILL NOT help themselves.
The "great wealth" of which you speak, has been accumulated over centuries, and much of it is illiquid. Selling St. Peter's Basillica to Walmart--so they can have a Vatican City presence--would hurt more Catholics than it would help.
Why do you not also look at the charitible institutions provided by the Church? The hospitals, the orphanages, the ministries in foreign, inhospitable lands? India, Africa, South and Central America?
The Catholic church does good things as do most Christian denominations. But I know of no other Church (not cult) that has accUmulated anywhere near the assets of the Catholics. Again, I don’t care how much they own - I am just pointing out the contradiction of fighting for “social justice” while sitting on the largest fortune in the world. Not all could be liquidated but some of it certainly could.
He has his lackeys like Obama work hard to make sure this happens.
Actually, they were constructed for the uses to which they are put ~ and paid for by people who wanted a church. Those same people are also the ones who give extensively to charity. About the time a religious organization starts rejecting the gift of a church they'll lose the rest of it as well.
Excuse me, but I've been on this forum and other "right oriented" fora, and I don't see much, if any, evidence to support that assertion. What people on the right criticize are those that WANT to be "useless eaters", not those who actually want to do something with their lives.
That is a good economic analysis. I hope that you're right that Pope Francis gets this, too.
But I'm concerned because I've seen it said that he's criticized untrammeled “free enterprise.” I hope that's wrong or a bad translation. Free enterprise isn't the problem. Corporatism is.
Time will tell.
sitetest
Define “untrammeled free enterprise”.
Do you think Jesus would condone charging $100 for a bottle of water in a disaster area? Is this not an example of “untrammeled free enterprise”?
Now my position is that while I would indeed criticize “free enterprise” in this case, I would also recognize that government efforts to clamp down, would be a case of the “cure being even worse than the disease”, and most likely result in shortages.
Any time you see the expression “human rights” is code for “communism.” Who is suppose to be paying for all these so called [poor] that the United States tax payers don't already pay for? This is why most attempts at communism has never worked. The Catholic Church supported Obamacare (commie-care) until they were back stabbed by Obama, when he forced the Catholic Church to provide contraceptives to everyone. Only then did the Church oppose Obamacare. the Catholic Church with this new Pope will support all communism around the world on behalf of "human rights, after all it will be for the "children!" Sound familiar? Exactly what the communist Obama and his ilk used to push through commie-care and now gun control legislation!
Are you suggesting that all Jesuits think alike on these matters?
CAPITALISM is the system that generates the least poverty:
socialism as demonstrated by France4, Britain, etc. fail
to produce a viable system.
Exceptions aside (selling bottled water in disaster areas), there aren’t any places in the world that are suffering from excesses of free enterprise, untrammeled or otherwise. In the present world, “untrammeled free enterprise” is just not a cause of poverty. Anywhere. At all.
As xzins pointed out, poverty is much more often caused by various forms of socialism, especially that form of socialism often confused for a form of capitalism, corporatism.
sitetest
Well suffice to say, I don’t think the Pope has much impact on economics in the first place. Just throws out some niceties, but in reality, nobody is going to do anything on this just because “the Pope said so.”
"For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." -- 2 Thessalonians 3:10
I'm fine with feeding those who CANNOT work -- the actual disabled. I'm not fine with subsidizing those who have no interest in work, and haughtily expect me to subsidize their idleness. And the people currently in US prisons are mostly there for good reasons.
Not at all. I was commenting on the statements made by the new pope.
Do you think Jesus would condone people dying of thirst because of price controls?
Any place where water can be sold for $100/bottle is guaranteed to have everybody around it loading up any vehicle that can get there with as much water as it can carry. And that vital water will get there days before FEMA will be able to get its act together.
I addressed that. I understand that in an economic sense it does avoid shortages...but still, when you stand in front of St. Peter don’t expect him to look at you with much favor.
Why don’t we both just wait and see what he actually does....You could very well be right....but at least give the guy a chance first.
Before I read another post on the thread, I pause to tip my hat. Well said - VERY well said.
I have a little rental property and with all the rules, regs, liabilities. I DARE NOT help anyone in my small business.
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