Before the Pope haters pile on, this is inline with the best traditions of Christian capitalism. Redistributing wealth to the poor through "generosity" is called charity and it worked really well in this country before cradle-to-grave entitlements came along, paid for with back-breaking tax burdens that take away the ability of families to help to the truly needed.
I’m not a pope hater. Urban II was my favorite kind of Pope.
Bull Crap. The Church never used the government to provide charity.
If you believe “Christian capitalism” is best acheived through the State taking my taxes and redistributing them to the poor, then you have a major FAIL in both Politics and Religion.
The story said he calls on GOVERNMENTS to redistribute wealth.
That’s worked out just great so far, right?
Either he was misquoted, or he’s an idiot, or he is a leftist of the Obama stripe.
Here’s the money shot;”the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state”. This has nothing to do with Christianity and less to do with capitalism.
This is as indefensible as the “sign of Peace” or praying at Mass holding hands. We’re the Catholic Church, not a hippie commune.
He called for government to do it, not individuals. Big difference.
I think the pope should review the 10 commandments, specifically 7 and 9.
From Luther's small catechism,
7) Thou shalt not steal.
We should fear and love God that we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business [that his means are preserved and his condition is improved].
9) Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.
We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
Sigh. Why doesn't this pope understand stealing and coveting? Just because you can make it legal, doesn't make it right.
“Redistributing wealth to the poor through “generosity” is called charity...”
Except he’s calling on the governments to do it, so it’s not charity, because it is not voluntary when the government has a gun to your head. That is just theft.
If the pope actually said that GOVERNMENTS were to do the redistribution, then this is NOT charity - it is governmental theft.
Charity is giving voluntarily. Taxes, despite the feeble BS of the IRS, are NOT voluntary.
He is calling for government to do it. That cannot be conflated with voluntary, private giving. Disingenuous at best.
The only thing wrong with your logic is that “giving” is voluntary (being necessary for blessings to be given), whereas “taxes” are mandatory and offer no such benefits.
Good insight. What America now has is not working.
But he is asking GOVERNMENTS to do it.
Ultimate government redistribute wealth through the barrel of a gun.
Government redistributon is charity? Don't think so...
You are misleading people, the pope isn’t calling for charity, he is calling for governments to TAKE people’s earning and wealth from them by means of force to redistribute.
In the Christian faith it is referred to as stealing.
No it’s not! When governments commit acts of “charity,” it’s not charity at all. The Pope is dead wrong on this. I suggest that the Vatican start by liquidating their vast treasure holdings and giving it all to the poor.
“Before the Pope haters pile on, this is inline with the best traditions of Christian capitalism.”
Christians can be capitalists, but the Christian world had quite an issue with interest, an inheritance from the Torah. However, the Jews managed to deal with the interest bit, something the Pope seems to have an issue with, along with his excess of collectivism.