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hazcompat
Guest
“pray for the perpetrators of your poverty, that they convert … Pray also for the priests, for the Levites, who-- seeing the man beaten and half dead-- pass by, looking the other way, because they do not have compassion.”
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Peace
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art Thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Peace
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RPRPsych
Guest
The headline is a bit deceptive. If we read what the Pope actually said, it’s not “the rich” as a blanket term, but those responsible for causing or maintaining poverty, as well as those who are unconcerned about those less fortunate than them. Well said, Pope Francis. 
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StudentMI
Guest
This could be a good meme. Picture of Ayn Rand bloviating on top, then a picture of Pope Francis looking serious below with the caption “Pope Francis is not impressed with your philosophy.”
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RPRPsych
Guest
Or Pope Francis pointing an accusing figure at some dude and asking him: “Are you John Galt? Repent!”
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Athanasiy
Guest
Pope condemns ‘bloodsuckers’ who exploit poor workers…
How come all our great Republican “Christian” pastors, congress, and Senate and in all the states don’t make an issue of this??
Pope Francis condemned “bloodsuckers” who grow rich by exploiting others on Thursday, saying making “slaves” out of workers and setting unfair contracts was a mortal sin.
Francis, who frequently speaks of his concern for the poor, appeared to be referring to the kind of grueling labor often done by poor migrants in rich countries across the world, but also to many other workers on precarious contracts.
During mass at the Vatican, he told a story about a girl who found a job working 11 hours a day for 650 euros ($729) a month, paid “under the table”.
“This is starving the people with their work for my own profit! Living on the blood of the people. And this is a mortal sin,” he said at the service in his Santa Marta residence.
“Without a pension, without health care … then they suspend (the contract), and in July and August (the workers) have to eat air. And in September, they laugh at you about it. Those who do that are true bloodsuckers.”
reuters.com/article/us-pope-slavery-idUSKCN0YA1GQ?r-r-1
How come all our great Republican “Christian” pastors, congress, and Senate and in all the states don’t make an issue of this??
Pope Francis condemned “bloodsuckers” who grow rich by exploiting others on Thursday, saying making “slaves” out of workers and setting unfair contracts was a mortal sin.
Francis, who frequently speaks of his concern for the poor, appeared to be referring to the kind of grueling labor often done by poor migrants in rich countries across the world, but also to many other workers on precarious contracts.
During mass at the Vatican, he told a story about a girl who found a job working 11 hours a day for 650 euros ($729) a month, paid “under the table”.
“This is starving the people with their work for my own profit! Living on the blood of the people. And this is a mortal sin,” he said at the service in his Santa Marta residence.
“Without a pension, without health care … then they suspend (the contract), and in July and August (the workers) have to eat air. And in September, they laugh at you about it. Those who do that are true bloodsuckers.”
reuters.com/article/us-pope-slavery-idUSKCN0YA1GQ?r-r-1
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2PT3
Guest
Contrary to popular myths and stereotypes, not all of the “rich” are evil, and not all of the “poor” are virtuous. In fact, the vast majority of both need conversion. I think it is dangerous - and false - to pretend that the poor are more virtuous than everyone else.
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jinglebelle
Guest
The poor are certainly not more or less virtuous. In scrabbling for their desparate bread, why would a church support those who cannot support Them.
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2PT3
Guest
Maybe we should pray for the conversion of the poor, too? This kind of talk that the poor should pray for the conversion of the rich is based on gross stereotypes and represents a Gospel of divisiveness and class warfare. I do agree that those who unfairly exploit workers are engaged in gravely evil conduct.
But perhaps rather than being “bloodsuckers” they are in fact living in God’s grace. I mean, even though they refuse to stop exploiting workers, they have concluded in their own conscience that they can’t offer any more to God at the present time, or perhaps they simply don’t accept the “inherent value” of commandment?
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exnihilo
Guest
You are right of course. It’s also not the case that only the rich are greedy. In fact many people are poor precisely because they are greedy. It seems to me that both the poor and the rich can have a tendency for self indulgence. The group that doesn’t seem to get much attention, but is in most need of support these days, is the great middle.
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PelagiathePenit
Guest
People don’t care about the middle class. If you do not live in abject poverty you supposedly have it good.
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stinkcat_14
Guest
Those in the middle class do have it good. Have you ever seen how truly poor people live?
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2PT3
Guest
I completely agree.
However, there is an important distinction between poverty and destitution, as expressed so eloquently by Cardinal Sarah in his book, God or Nothing.
By world-wide standards, there are very few truly poor people in the United States. A recent study showed that the average American family defined as “poor” is highly likely to have cell phones, a flat-screen tv; air conditioning and heat; adequate living space; available transportation, and is more likely to be obese / overweight than malnourished. There is no excuse for anyone in the United States to be malnourished, etc. when there are programs to help them. The homeless in the United States are primarily seriously mentally ill or addicted, which makes them very difficult to truly help without institutionalizing them. On the other hand, there are millions of people in the world who live in destitution, malnourished, without clean water or adequate food; subject to malaria, and other killer diseases.
I think it has been most unfortunate that the Vatican has thrown its weight behind extreme invective directed at the “rich” and has bought into the whole ideology of “inequality”. The poor are not always virtuous, and they are not always “right.” They are often as likely to be un-virtuous and “wrong” as the rich. There a cold-blooded murderers among the “poor” who would never stop to help a “rich man” on the side of the road. There are many among the poor who covet the goods of their neighbors and harbor extreme resentment about their circumstances that they demonize the so-called “rich.”
I am definitely not saying the rich are virtuous. But I am definitely saying that I believe it is highly counter-productive to use the Holy Catholic Faith to foster class resentments.
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Maximilan_Kolbe
Guest
Likely for the same reason most Democratic pastors and politicians don’t make major issues of gay marriage, abortion, or contraception.
They are either focused on other issues doing the best they can, or they disagree with the Church.
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fin
Guest
Pension, healthcare… who’s gonna pay for it?
If it’s the government, it’s from taxpayers. Most of the taxpayers are middle class and rich.
Don’t middle class people have a hard time with their finances too?
As for the girl working under the table for very little, isn’t it still better than having no job?
Take note, I’m aware that one of the sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance is not paying one’s employees ok.
If an employer gives higher wages to his employees, the added costs would be passed on to his customers. These customers would then be paying more, who they themselves have families to support.
It’s probably helpful to learn some basic economics before spouting off some preaching, ya know.
If it’s the government, it’s from taxpayers. Most of the taxpayers are middle class and rich.
Don’t middle class people have a hard time with their finances too?
As for the girl working under the table for very little, isn’t it still better than having no job?
Take note, I’m aware that one of the sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance is not paying one’s employees ok.
If an employer gives higher wages to his employees, the added costs would be passed on to his customers. These customers would then be paying more, who they themselves have families to support.
It’s probably helpful to learn some basic economics before spouting off some preaching, ya know.
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Athanasiy
Guest
Pope: wealth and power are good, but only when used to serve
catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-wealth-and-power-are-good-but-only-when-they-serve-the-poor-35233/
catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-wealth-and-power-are-good-but-only-when-they-serve-the-poor-35233/
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Gemma6039
Guest
Sooo well said!
LeafByNiggle
Well-known member
Two points about this comment:
- The Pope was not speaking specifically to Americans. He was speaking to a group of international workers to end poverty. So there is no need to get all defensive on behalf of the rich in America.
- Looking exclusively at the poor in America is too narrow a view. The world is very connected now. Decisions made in one country affect people living in other countries. Why should the rich in America limit their vision of the poor to just the poor in America?
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Rosebud77
Guest
Maybe his words would go down better were the Church to shed its own riches. Land that could be sold etc… and feeding the poor even in Rome, every day not these gestures.
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JB_Brother_4446
Guest
Did you even read what he said? He was talking about those who cause poverty!
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