Pope's New Book Criticizes Capitalism

[Sophie]

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.

More: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8OG0I6O0&show_article=1

I have to say I wasn't thrilled when I saw the title. But after reading the article, I think I'm going to read the book when it comes out in May.

[RaptureMe]

criticizing the "cruelty" of capitalism's exploitation of the poor

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.

I wonder if the RCC will ever acknowledge their exploitation of the poor in history.

I wonder if the pope recognizes that he and his predecessors are exceedingly rich and have all they could want (materialism) - and many appear to have believed they were gods of a sort.

Sorry, but I do not trust much that comes out of the RCC (the church organization, not necessarily the "people"). When this book is hyped and the Catholics are excouraged to buy it (Ain't capitalism grand? Wait - didn't he say it was bad??), will the money go to the poor - heck no, it'll go into the RCC's coffers.

[Doxiemom]

Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church does not require tithing?

[JoelH]

The way I see this, and from what I read from traditionalist Catholics and thinktanks like the Acton Institute (headed by Catholic social theorists) Pope Benedict is not denouncing capitalism as in free market per se. Rather, he is pointing to the contemporary secular unfettled types - the social Darwinist or Ayn Rand Objectivist varieties. And in fact his main thrusts of criticism these days are on the government in place of God social welfareism prevalent in Europe that is a by-product of rampant secularism over there.

[Van Helsing]

I think all man made "isms" are false. So is kapitalism. When Jesus returns He will teach us His way.