Pope Benedict Peace Message Calls For Wealth Redistribution

By Francis X. Rocca
Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Noting a "rising sense of frustration" at the worldwide economic recession, Pope Benedict XVI said that a more just and peaceful world requires "adequate mechanisms for the redistribution of wealth."

The pope's words appeared in his message for the World Day of Peace 2012, released on Friday (Dec. 16) at the Vatican.

The message laments that "some currents of modern culture, built upon rationalist and individualist economic principles, have cut off the concept of justice from its transcendent roots, detaching it from charity and solidarity."

Authentic education, Benedict writes, teaches the proper use of freedom with "respect for oneself and others, including those whose way of being and living differs greatly from one's own."

Peace-making requires education not only in the values of compassion and solidarity, but in the importance of wealth redistribution, the "promotion of growth, cooperation for development and conflict resolution," Benedict writes.

The pope also calls on political leaders to "ensure that no one is ever denied access to education."

The message was presented on Friday by officials of the Vatican's Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace. The same body published a controversial document in October blaming the world's economic and financial crisis on an "economic liberalism that spurns rules and controls," and calling for global regulation of the financial industry and the international money supply.

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Comments

[Jeroen de Wit]

02:26 PM on 01/04/2012

A good message. It would mean something if he'd take that pimp scepter and matching hat to the pawn shop and feed the poor with the money he gets for it.

[617patrick]

03:41 PM on 01/02/2012

Hat: $100,000
Scepter: $900.000 dollars
Vatican complex: $1.2 Billion

Convincing a billion people that they should redistribute THEIR wealth: Priceless

[Gerard St Laurent]

05:40 PM on 01/02/2012

Right on, let's take his money by taxing all churches.

[dtrobert]

07:10 AM on 12/23/2011

I'll echo many others: You first, Ratzi.

[thecouve]

02:49 AM on 12/23/2011

The Vaticans net worth is more than most countries! They continue to suck money from millions who believe in nonsense. Nice for the pope to say this as he sits in his palace!

[BMFB]

01:30 AM on 12/23/2011

Cheney is going to take him hunting...

[SunieSevier]

12:56 AM on 12/23/2011

I think you hit it on the head sir...go pope...

[Ulloa101]

12:52 PM on 12/22/2011

I agree sell the vatican the pope mobile everything else if ppl wana hear him speak get an android phone or use skype...

[merrymay]

02:08 PM on 12/22/2011

You really think the world of art and culture would be served by selling off the Vatican treasures?

Even if they did, who would keep the money? Get real.

[Lando Diaz]

07:46 AM on 12/23/2011

And that's that's I was talking about when I said some people are really ignorant. The different work of art contained in the Vatican is Priceless....

[merrymay]

08:10 AM on 12/22/2011

The Catholic Church is a confusing mixed bag and this article demonstrates it perfectly.

First, to be fair, the upkeep and security on all that art and architecture is incredibly expensive. Would tourists and art lovers prefer it all be sold to private collections and hidden somewhere?

Especially since JPII it has been very hard to be Catholic...believe me. The right wing has been in charge...not the fairly good sort of discipline and integrity...but the harsh, unbending, power loving sort. If JPI had been allowed to live (!) a much more compassionate, understanding and Gospel Christianity would have delighted the hearts of many writing here. His family was loving and poor...hard working...his Dad a socialist.

Don't worry, this Pope is only kidding.

[Arthur Eld]

06:48 AM on 12/22/2011

Sitting in the midst of unbelievable masses of gold, silver and diamonds, wearing the finest linen, the pope asks for the redistribution of wealth.

He's right. And a hypocrite.

[Greg Shatto]

06:31 AM on 12/22/2011

He is looking more and more like the evil emperor from star wars.

[mamahappy]

12:44 AM on 12/22/2011

Good! It's time for the Vatican to redistribute their wealth. I know plenty of struggling people.

[charlesdickens]

12:35 AM on 12/22/2011

I knew a good priest once who said that he would never own anything big, such as property. He was a voice crying in the wilderness in his chosen church of wealth and riches.

[Richard McRae]

12:16 AM on 12/22/2011

So essentially the infallible word of God promotes socialism. Can't wait to see the wealthy Catholics start redistributing their wealth to the poor!

[Richard McRae]

12:14 AM on 12/22/2011

They've been asking the population to redistribute their wealth to the church for centuries. I'd love to see how quickly the church starts to redistribute their wealth to the community.

I wonder how many conservative Catholics will leave the church now that they know it believes in Socialism?

[MirrorMonkey]

05:22 PM on 12/26/2011

"I'd love to see how quickly the church starts to redistribute their wealth to the community" --
Because you have never once noticed a Catholic school, or hospital, or AIDS hospice, or health clinic, or university, or soup kitchen, or food pantry, or anything else, right?
There are no orders of teaching or nursing sisters or brothers, there is no such organization as Catholic Charities, and the St. Vincent DePaul Society does not exist, right?

And as for what the church teaches about economics and the common good, why, there never was a Pope Leo XIII (and thus no "Rerum Novarum") or Pius XI (and thus no "Quadragesimo anno") right?

Riiiiiight.

[juswondrin]

10:48 PM on 12/21/2011

The Pope asks for a redistribution of wealth.

After you, Holy Father.....after you, sir.