OMG!!! The Pope says that ALL Catholics must support a One World Government!!!
@#$%!!! The Vatican wants just One Bank for the Whole World!!!!
@#$%!!! The Vatican wants just One Bank for the Whole World!!!!
WHAT!?!? Benedict XVI supports the Occupy Wall St protesters!!!
Deep breath. One more time. Now, OK. . .so, if any of your friends, family, co-religionists have expressed any of the above or some version of one of the above, sit them down, give them a beer, let them catch their breath, and ask them a simple question: have you actually read the recently published document on economics and finance that has upset you so?
Betcha they will say, "Um, no." Good. Get them a copy and give them about 30 mins. to read all 18 pgs. Once they are finished, roll up a newspaper and swatch them briskly across the nose three times while saying in a firm voice, "Bad, bad Catholic! Bad Catholic! You never believe a word that the media say about the Church! Never!"
If they are sufficiently contrite and promise to never do it again, make the following points about the document:
1). The document was NOT written by "The Vatican" or "The Pope." It's a product of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Not the Secretary of State. Not the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Not the Congregation for Bishops. A pontifical council. In terms of magisterial authority, that's somewhere near a Christmas postcard from your pastor. 'Nuff said.
2). The document says nothing new about economics or economic theory nor does it promote one model of economics over any other. The focus is placed squarely on the current difficulties in the monetary market, arguing that some sort of international control needs to be established over these transactions so that we might avoid another global bank collapse. There is a pointed critique of what the document labels "economic liberalism and utilitarian thinking," that is, unregulated free market capitalism. This is nothing new either. The Church has been suspicious of unfettered capitalism since at least the mid-nineteenth century.
3). The "world authority" proposed in the document is placed within the context of all the usual Catholic caveats about human dignity, morality, respect for cultural and national traditions, the authority of the nation-state, subsidiarity, etc., etc. In other words, Global Governance advocates will dismiss this proposal out of hand. It's too religious/ethical and not nearly powerful enough. Oh, and there won't be enough opportunities for politicians to steal us all blind.
4). Yes, Church-haters and Prog Catholics will cover themselves with this document and proclaim a divine victory for the Occupy Wall St. type non-sense. Nothing we can do about that. Just don't be pulled into the whole Benedict Is Calling For A One World Bank framing of the issue.
Bottomline: a little note from a minor curial department expressing the opinions of some Italian economist.
4). Yes, Church-haters and Prog Catholics will cover themselves with this document and proclaim a divine victory for the Occupy Wall St. type non-sense. Nothing we can do about that. Just don't be pulled into the whole Benedict Is Calling For A One World Bank framing of the issue.
Bottomline: a little note from a minor curial department expressing the opinions of some Italian economist.
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That the council exists at all is upsetting. Tradition cannot be upheld by bureaucracies; bureaucracies arrogate to themselves the right to make unilateral decisions, which is one of the reasons they make ridiculous suggestions, like having a central world bank.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the author(s) chose to use some of the worst examples of international oversight. Of course, the United Nations wouldn't devolve into a situation of "bureacratic isolation." Thank God it carries no magisterial weight.
ReplyDeleteI can almost visualize the Jack Chick comic book that will be written because of this...
ReplyDeleteThe fact is, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace might just as well call for the establishment of Star Trek’s United Federation of Planets. It would have just as much likelihood of providing solutions to our problems in your lifetime, your children’s lifetimes, or their children’s lifetimes.
ReplyDeleteBetween the council’s ideal and the real world there is a chasm so large it boggles the mind that anyone could read the newspapers and discuss a world political/economic authority without intending thereby either to consider an abstract thesis in a political philosophy seminar or to sketch the plot of a science fiction film.
If the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is trying to make the Catholic Church sound as if she’s living in a fantasy world or trying to portray Catholic social teaching as completely irrelevant to real world problems, I’d say, “Mission accomplished.”
http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/961/On_Going_the_Way_of_World_Government.aspx
Anon@5.34,
ReplyDeleteThough I agree that the PCJP's proposed "solution" is unworkable in the real world, I hesitate to dismiss the ethical core of the document simply b/c it is somewhat idealistic.
When some Vatican office or another issues a statement on sexuality, abortion, etc., one the predictable responses from the Left is. . ."Oh, the Catholic Church doesn't live in the real world. . .no one listens to these old-fashioned idealist, etc."
So, I think you're right for the wrong reasons. . .if that makes sense.