Pope Francis condemns social, economic inequality as 'sickness'

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Pope Francis condemns social, economic inequality as ‘sickness’​

By Don Jacobson

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In a General Address delivered Wednesday, Francis said the gulf between the wealthy and the poor has been “highlighted and aggravated” by the pandemic and condemned those inequalities as “dismal.”

Citing an example of poor children being unable to continue their in-person educations while those from wealthier countries can access remote learning, the Pope said such differences “reveal a sickness.”
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Francis’ comments came as the Vatican announced that visitors will once again be admitted to the audiences beginning Sept. 2.
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I’m not sure if there is much to add to this.
 
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I am bothered by the use of the word “sickness.” It just doesn’t make sense.
 
Here’s the Vatican News version/translation:

“These symptoms of inequality reveal a social illness. It is a virus that comes from a sick economy…the result of unequal economic growth, which disregards fundamental human values.”
 
I’m more concerned with the present state of the Church than that of the economy.
 
My take, commenting on the pandemic that sadly took a real toll in Italy. I believe even a number of clergy succumbed. So, one would sort of need to put themselves in the environment there. Just my view.
 
I try to tell myself that it could be a translation issue or an idiom peculiar to South America/Spanish speech. Kind of like ‘raining cats and dogs’, or how years ago we referred to a strange behavior as ‘sick’, and maybe that’s how he meant it. Maybe it’s a jump from looking on SIN as a sickness —you know how he talks about the Church being a ‘field hospital for the sick’, and all that, so that any kind of evil he might think of as a sickness.
 
Not really saying much here that’s new. Catholic social teaching has addressed such issues before. It does not call for a complete levelling of the classes despite what some may think from the title.
 
I don’t know, calling “wealthy countries” being able to resume schooling a type of sickness is not helpful. Are we all supposed to be equal? Should wealthier countries not go back to school in solidarity or something? I am tired of hearing about the economy being good somewhere as some kind of evil thing.
 
Maybe the general message is the important thing, not particular phrases, analogies, etc… The poor (think international, where there’s extreme poverty) are so poor in contrast to the extreme wealth enjoyed by others. The Pope rightfully tries to find new ways of getting the idea across.
 
I think it’s a valid concern by Papa. Many of us here in the comfortable West forget the privileges we have. Our economic abundance has affected our souls detrimentally too, speaking from a general level. Is this point often overlooked? I think so.
 
PatienceAndHumility said:
Our economic abundance has affected our souls detrimentally too, speaking from a general level.
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On a general level? Maybe. Be careful about judging individuals, though.

And while the Church has always held poverty as blessed for lack of a better word, it does not teach destitution.
 
I’m not sure what you mean about judgement of individuals- I think my point was clear? As to the rest of your post- indeed, we can all agree on that
 
PatienceAndHumility said:
I think it’s a valid concern by Papa. Many of us here in the comfortable West forget the privileges we have. Our economic abundance has affected our souls detrimentally too, speaking from a general level. Is this point often overlooked? I think so.
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I often feel uncomfortable about this aspect as well. In general we are very blasé about sins like greed (which is idolatry) and the suffering of others who we can block from our minds. Pope Francis has been really targeting the ideologies that depend on pushing those things out of our consciences. He’s not afraid to poke hornets nests.
 
I haven’t looked into this very much at all yet, but to me, it doesn’t not sound like he is condemning economic and social inequality per se.
 
ioannes_pius said:
I haven’t looked into this very much at all yet, but to me, it doesn’t not sound like he is condemning economic and social inequality per se .
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We live in a horribly unjust world, and wealth distribution is part of that. According to the World Bank, nearly 50% of the world’s population lives on less than $5.50 per day, and almost 10% lives on less than $1.90 per day.

In comparison, over the past SIX MONTHS just eleven US billionaires have seen their net worth increase a staggering $565 BILLION (or approximately $285,353,535 each PER DAY).

I think the Pope is justified in calling that a disease. Or perhaps a better way of putting it might be that it is a disease to think a system that allows this to happen is acceptable.


https://markets.businessinsider.com...th-grew-most-covid-19-2020-5-1029289788?op=1#
 
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My thoughts exactly. This, to me, seems to be the sense of what the Holy Father is saying.
 
So many American Catholics have bought into the Protestant Work Ethic and just believe that if the poor work harder or “make better choices” they can benefit from material wealth.
 
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