Pope Francis: Speaking to the Heart of America

In Latin, the traditional language of the Roman Catholic Church, it is known as Evangelii Gaudium. (English: Joy of the Gospel)  This Papal Exhortation is a message to church clergy and lay faithful alike. But in this message, Pope Francis is also speaking to the heart of America.

Before addressing the missionary goals of the Church, it is clear that Pope Francis wanted to frame his message within the context of today’s world. The Pope offers all of us a blunt perspective of the growing exclusion and inequality in our society, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.

In Chapter 2 of this Papal message, the Pontiff deals directly with the economics of inequality.  The Pope believes that all economies have a responsibility to safeguard the value of human life. He goes on to say, “How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points”? The Pope expands on the topic of economic exclusion when he says, “Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving? Today everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless. As a consequence, masses of people find themselves excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape”. [53]

Pope Francis points out that we have created a “throw away” culture. Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used and then discarded. It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. Many in our society are not simply “exploited” but rather have become outcasts and “leftovers”, no longer even a part of the economic community. [53]

In a somewhat surprising and controversial statement Pope Francis directly attacks conservative “trickle-down” economic theory when he states that there is no reason to assume it brings economic growth. He renders the opinion that it's validity has never been confirmed by facts and it expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power. Trickle-down economics sustains a lifestyle that excludes others, maintains a selfish ideal, and globalizes indifference. “Almost without being aware of it, we end up being incapable of feeling compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s pain, and feeling a need to help them, as though all this were someone else’s responsibility and not our own”. [54]

Pope Francis feels the primary cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our society. He says, “The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person! We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose”. [55]

 Additionally, the Pope’s message points out that humanity is at a turning point in our history. We must embrace the efforts of those that strive to reverse this profound human crisis. He further states, “We can only praise the steps being taken to improve people’s welfare in areas such as health care, education and communications”. [52]

 The release of this Papal Exhortation created a tremor within those partisans that believe free markets are without exploitation or malfeasance. Conservative pundits immediately rejected the Pope’s effort to humanize capitalism and instead fired false claims that the Pope’s message of compassion was instead a form of Marxism.