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Africa/Global: Pope Francis on Economic Justice
AfricaFocus Bulletin
December 5, 2013 (131205)
(Reposted from sources cited below)
Editor's Note
"As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by
rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial
speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality,
no solution will be found for the world's problems or, for that
matter, to any problems. Inequality is the root of social ills." -
Pope Francis, November 24, 2013
The apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Francis may have been
primarily addressed to his Catholic followers. But his sharp
comments on the fallacies and immorality of right-wing
fundamentalist economics have attracted wide attention, both
positive and negative, with selected sound bites being quoted in
a multitude of news articles and talk shows.
The full text is long, over 50,000 words on over 200 booklet-size
pages. The words on economic justice are only a fraction of that,
but they do go beyond the few sentences that have appeared in the
media. So I decided to excerpt an AfricaFocus-sized portion, in the
belief that AfricaFocus readers would also find them of interest.
This AfricaFocus, therefore, contains excerpts from sections of the
document under headings such as "No to an economy of exclusion,"
"No to the new idolatry of money," and "No to a financial system
which rules rather than serves."
The full exhortation is available on the Vatican website:
http://www.vatican.va / direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/nay8sth
For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on economic issues, visit
http://www.africafocus.org/econexp.php; for Bulletins on debt and
inequality in particular, visit
http://www.africafocus.org/debtexp.php
++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of the Holy Father Francis
to the Bishops, Clergy, Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful on
the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's World
November 24, 2013
http://www.vatican.va / direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/nay8sth
No to an economy of exclusion
53. Just as the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" sets a clear
limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also
have to say "thou shalt not" to an economy of exclusion and
inequality. Such an economy kills. 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? This is a case of
exclusion. Can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away
while people are starving? This is a case of inequality. 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.
Human beings are themselves considered consumer goods to be used
and then discarded. We have created a "throw away" culture which
is now spreading. It is no longer simply about exploitation and
oppression, but something new. Exclusion ultimately has to do with
what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those
excluded are no longer society's underside or its fringes or its
disenfranchised - they are no longer even a part of it. The
excluded are not the "exploited" but the outcast, the "leftovers".
54. In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down
theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free
market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice
and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been
confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naÃ&hibar;ve trust in the
goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized
workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded
are still waiting. To sustain a lifestyle which excludes others, or
to sustain enthusiasm for that selfish ideal, a globalization of
indifference has developed. 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. The culture of prosperity deadens us; we are thrilled if
the market offers us something new to purchase. In the meantime all
those lives stunted for lack of opportunity seem a mere spectacle;
they fail to move us.
No to the new idolatry of money
55. One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with
money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our
societies. 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 (cf. Ex 32:1-35) 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. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy
lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real
concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone:
consumption.
56. While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so
too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed
by those happy few. This imbalance is the result of ideologies
which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial
speculation. Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged
with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of
control. A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual,
which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules.
Debt and the accumulation of interest also make it difficult for
countries to realize the potential of their own economies and keep
citizens from enjoying their real purchasing power. To all this we
can add widespread corruption and self-serving tax evasion, which
have taken on worldwide dimensions. The thirst for power and
possessions knows no limits. In this system, which tends to devour
everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever
is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the
interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.
No to a financial system which rules rather than serves
57. Behind this attitude lurks a rejection of ethics and a
rejection of God. Ethics has come to be viewed with a certain
scornful derision. It is seen as counterproductive, too human,
because it makes money and power relative. It is felt to be a
threat, since it condemns the manipulation and debasement of the
person. In effect, ethics leads to a God who calls for a committed
response which is outside the categories of the marketplace. When
these latter are absolutized, God can only be seen as
uncontrollable, unmanage- able, even dangerous, since he calls
human beings to their full realization and to freedom from all
forms of enslavement. Ethics - a non-ideological ethics - would
make it possible to bring about balance and a more humane social
order. With this in mind, I encourage financial experts and
political leaders to ponder the words of one of the sages of
antiquity: "Not to share one's wealth with the poor is to steal
from them and to take away their livelihood. It is not our own
goods which we hold, but theirs".
58. A financial reform open to such ethical considerations would
require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political
leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with determination and
an eye to the future, while not ignoring, of course, the specifics
of each case. Money must serve, not rule! The Pope loves everyone,
rich and poor alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to
remind all that the rich must help, respect and promote the poor. I
exhort you to generous solidarity and to the return of economics
and finance to an ethical approach which favours human beings.
No to the inequality which spawns violence
59. Today in many places we hear a call for greater security. But
until exclusion and inequality in society and between peoples are
reversed, it will be impossible to eliminate violence. The poor and
the poorer peoples are accused of violence, yet without equal
opportunities the different forms of aggression and conflict will
find a fertile terrain for growth and eventually explode. When a
society - whether local, national or global - is willing to leave a
part of itself on the fringes, no political programmes or resources
spent on law enforcement or surveillance systems can indefinitely
guarantee tranquility. This is not the case simply because
inequality provokes a violent reaction from those excluded from the
system, but because the socioeconomic system is unjust at its root.
Just as goodness tends to spread, the toleration of evil, which is
injustice, tends to expand its baneful influence and quietly to
undermine any political and social system, no matter how solid it
may appear. If every action has its consequences, an evil embedded
in the structures of a society has a constant potential for
disintegration and death. It is evil crystallized in unjust social
structures, which cannot be the basis of hope for a better future.
We are far from the so- called "end of history", since the
conditions for a sustainable and peaceful development have not yet
been adequately articulated and realized.
60. Today's economic mechanisms promote inordinate consumption, yet
it is evident that unbridled consumerism combined with inequality
proves doubly damaging to the social fabric. Inequality eventually
engenders a violence which recourse to arms cannot and never will
be able to resolve. It serves only to offer false hopes to those
clamouring for heightened security, even though nowadays we know
that weapons and violence, rather than providing solutions, create
new and more serious conflicts. Some simply content themselves with
blaming the poor and the poorer countries themselves for their
troubles; indulging in unwarranted generalizations, they claim that
the solution is an "education" that would tranquilize them, making
them tame and harmless. All this becomes even more exasperating for
the marginalized in the light of the widespread and deeply rooted
corruption found in many countries - in their governments,
businesses and institutions - whatever the political ideology of
their leaders.
II. The inclusion of the poor in society
186. Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to
the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the
integral development of society's most neglected members.
In union with God, we hear a plea
187. Each individual Christian and every community is called to be
an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor,
and for enabling them to be fully a part of society. This demands
that we be docile and attentive to the cry of the poor and to come
to their aid. A mere glance at the Scriptures is enough to make us
see how our gracious Father wants to hear the cry of the poor: "I
have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have
heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know
their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them ... so I will
send you .." (Ex 3:7-8, 10). We also see how he is concerned for
their needs: "When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord
raised up for them a deliverer" (Jg 3:15). If we, who are God's
means of hearing the poor, turn deaf ears to this plea, we oppose
the Father's will and his plan; that poor person "might cry to the
Lord against you, and you would incur guilt" (Dt 15:9). A lack of
solidarity towards his or her needs will directly affect our
relationship with God: "For if in bitterness of soul he calls down
a curse upon you, his Creator will hear his prayer" (Sir 4:6). The
old question always returns: "How does God's love abide in anyone
who has the world's goods, and sees a brother or sister in need and
yet refuses help?" (1 Jn 3:17). Let us recall also how bluntly the
apostle James speaks of the cry of the oppressed: "The wages of the
labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry
out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the
Lord of hosts" (5:4).
188. The Church has realized that the need to heed this plea is
itself born of the liberating action of grace within each of us,
and thus it is not a question of a mission reserved only to a few:
"The Church, guided by the Gospel of mercy and by love for mankind,
hears the cry for justice and intends to respond to it with all her
might". In this context we can understand Jesus' command to his
disciples: "You yourselves give them something to eat!" (Mk 6:37):
it means working to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and
to promote the integral development of the poor, as well as small
daily acts of solidarity in meeting the real needs which we
encounter. The word "solidarity" is a little worn and at times
poorly understood, but it refers to something more than a few
sporadic acts of generosity. It presumes the creation of a new
mindset which thinks in terms of community and the priority of the
life of all over the appropriation of goods by a few.
189. Solidarity is a spontaneous reaction by those who recognize
that the social function of property and the universal destination
of goods are realities which come before private property. The
private ownership of goods is justified by the need to protect and
increase them, so that they can better serve the common good; for
this reason, solidarity must be lived as the decision to restore to
the poor what belongs to them. These convictions and habits of
solidarity, when they are put into practice, open the way to other
structural transformations and make them possible. Changing
structures without generating new convictions and attitudes will
only ensure that those same structures will become, sooner or
later, corrupt, oppressive and ineffectual.
190. Sometimes it is a matter of hearing the cry of entire peoples,
the poorest peoples of the earth, since "peace is founded not only
on respect for human rights, but also on respect for the rights of
peoples". Sadly, even human rights can be used as a
justification for an inordinate defense of individual rights or the
rights of the richer peoples. With due respect for the autonomy and
culture of every nation, we must never forget that the planet
belongs to all mankind and is meant for all mankind; the mere fact
that some people are born in places with fewer resources or less
development does not justify the fact that they are living with
less dignity. It must be reiterated that "the more fortunate should
renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more
generously at the service of others". To speak properly of our own
rights, we need to broaden our perspective and to hear the plea of
other peoples and other regions than those of our own country. We
need to grow in a solidarity which "would allow all peoples to
become the artisans of their destiny", since "every person is
called to self-fulfilment".
191. In all places and circumstances, Christians, with the help of
their pastors, are called to hear the cry of the poor. This has
been eloquently stated by the bishops of Brazil: "We wish to take
up daily the joys and hopes, the difficulties and sorrows of the
Brazilian people, especially of those living in the barrios and the
countryside - landless, homeless, lacking food and health care - to
the detriment of their rights. Seeing their poverty, hearing their
cries and knowing their sufferings, we are scandalized because we
know that there is enough food for everyone and that hunger is the
result of a poor distribution of goods and income. The problem is
made worse by the generalized practice of wastefulness".
192. Yet we desire even more than this; our dream soars higher. We
are not simply talking about ensuring nourishment or a "dignified
sustenance" for all people, but also their "general temporal
welfare and prosperity". This means education, access to health
care, and above all employment, for it is through free, creative,
participatory and mutually supportive labour that human beings
express and enhance the dignity of their lives. A just wage enables
them to have adequate access to all the other goods which are
destined for our common use.
The economy and the distribution of income
202. The need to resolve the structural causes of poverty cannot be
delayed, not only for the pragmatic reason of its urgency for the
good order of society, but because society needs to be cured of a
sickness which is weakening and frustrating it, and which can only
lead to new crises. Welfare projects, which meet certain urgent
needs, should be considered merely temporary responses. As long as
the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting
the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by
attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be
found for the world's problems or, for that matter, to any
problems. Inequality is the root of social ills.
203. The dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common
good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies. At
times, however, they seem to be a mere addendum imported from
without in order to fill out a political discourse lacking in
perspectives or plans for true and integral development. How many
words prove irksome to this system! It is irksome when the question
of ethics is raised, when global solidarity is invoked, when the
distribution of goods is mentioned, when reference in made to
protecting labour and defending the dignity of the powerless, when
allusion is made to a God who demands a commitment to justice. At
other times these issues are exploited by a rhetoric which cheapens
them. Casual indifference in the face of such questions empties our
lives and our words of all meaning. Business is a vocation, and a
noble vocation, provided that those engaged in it see themselves
challenged by a greater meaning in life; this will enable them
truly to serve the common good by striving to increase the goods of
this world and to make them more accessible to all.
204. We can no longer trust in the unseen forces and the invisible
hand of the market. Growth in justice requires more than economic
growth, while presupposing such growth: it requires decisions,
programmes, mechanisms and processes specifically geared to a
better distribution of income, the creation of sources of
employment and an integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond
a simple welfare mentality. I am far from proposing an
irresponsible populism, but the economy can no longer turn to
remedies that are a new poison, such as attempting to increase
profits by reducing the work force and thereby adding to the ranks
of the excluded.
205. I ask God to give us more politicians capable of sincere and
effective dialogue aimed at healing the deepest roots - and not
simply the appearances - of the evils in our world! Politics,
though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the
highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good. We
need to be convinced that charity "is the principle not only of
micro-relationships (with friends, with family members or within
small groups) but also of macro-relationships (social, economic and
political ones)". I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who
are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the
lives of the poor! It is vital that government leaders and
financial leaders take heed and broaden their horizons, working to
ensure that all citizens have dignified work, education and
healthcare. Why not turn to God and ask him to inspire their plans?
I am firmly convinced that openness to the transcendent can bring
about a new political and economic mindset which would help to
break down the wall of separation between the economy and the
common good of society.
206. Economy, as the very word indicates, should be the art of
achieving a fitting management of our common home, which is the
world as a whole. Each meaningful economic decision made in one
part of the world has repercussions everywhere else; consequently,
no government can act without regard for shared responsibility.
Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find local
solutions for enormous global problems which overwhelm local
politics with difficulties to resolve. If we really want to achieve
a healthy world economy, what is needed at this juncture of history
is a more efficient way of interacting which, with due regard for
the sovereignty of each nation, ensures the economic well-being of
all countries, not just of a few.
207. Any Church community, if it thinks it can comfortably go its
own way without creative concern and effective cooperation in
helping the poor to live with dignity and reaching out to everyone,
will also risk breaking down, however much it may talk about social
issues or criticize governments. It will easily drift into a
spiritual worldliness camouflaged by religious practices,
unproductive meetings and empty talk.
208. If anyone feels offended by my words, I would respond that I
speak them with affection and with the best of intentions, quite
apart from any personal interest or political ideology. My words
are not those of a foe or an opponent. I am interested only in
helping those who are in thrall to an individualistic, indifferent
and self-centred mentality to be freed from those unworthy chains
and to attain a way of living and thinking which is more humane,
noble and fruitful, and which will bring dignity to their presence
on this earth.
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providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with
a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus
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