Napolitano: Pope Misguided on Capitalism

[Sailor]

Pope Francis is misguided in his beliefs about the dangers of capitalism, and instead of commenting on economic issues he should focus exclusively on matters affecting faith and morality, says Andrew Napolitano.

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In an op-ed piece for The Washington Times the former New Jersey Superior Court judge and senior judicial analyst for Fox News says the Pope is "wide of the mark" in his verdict that free-market capitalism undermines the social mobility of the poor as he suggested in his recent apostolic exhortation.

"No economic system in history has alleviated more poverty, generated more opportunity, and helped more formerly poor people become rich than capitalism," writes Napolitano, who is a traditionalist Roman Catholic.

"The essence of capitalism goes to the core of Catholic teaching: the personal freedom of every person. Capitalism is freedom to risk, freedom to work, freedom to save, freedom to retain the fruits of one's labors, freedom to own property and freedom to give to charity."

More here:
www.newsmax.com/newswidget/andrew-napolitano-pope-francis-capitalism-wrong/2013/12/06/id/540464?promo_code=10E8D-1&utm_source=10E8DForeign_Policy&utm_medium=nmwidget&utm_campaign=widgetphase1

Limbaugh wasn't the only one who remarked on the Pope's comments. I put Napolitano's comments up because I think he brought up some good points.

[warrior1972]

Business commentators may rise to the defense of the marketplace. But Pope Francis is not primarily interested in a debate about "wealth creation." He stands in a tradition that goes back to the prophets of Israel, whose moral litmus test was the welfare of society's least and most vulnerable members.

Pope Francis has taken it upon himself to speak for those who have no voice, to arouse the conscience of Christians, and to contribute to a culture of solidarity. He longs, he says, for a "Church which is poor and for the poor." Perhaps what distinguishes him from his predecessors is simply that he has identified this as a central focus, and that he evidently intends to hold the church accountable to this mission.


Of course no one is troubled by a pope who embraces the sick and loves the poor. But when he dares to reflect on the moral and structural causes of poverty, that is a different matter.

As Dom Helder Camara, another prophetic archbishop from Latin America, famously observed, "When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist." Some things never change.


www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/opinion/ellsberg-limbaugh-pope/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

[warrior1972]

Andrew P. Napolitano (born June 6, 1950) is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a political and senior judicial analyst for Fox News Channel, commenting on legal news and trials. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano

[Sailor]

Dec 8, 2013 10:18:43 GMT -8 warrior1972 said:

Andrew P. Napolitano (born June 6, 1950) is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a political and senior judicial analyst for Fox News Channel, commenting on legal news and trials. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano

Okay, and? Does that mean his positions and opinions are too extreme for posting here?

[warrior1972]

Dec 8, 2013 12:08:27 GMT -8 Sailor said:

Dec 8, 2013 10:18:43 GMT -8 warrior1972 said:

Andrew P. Napolitano (born June 6, 1950) is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He is a political and senior judicial analyst for Fox News Channel, commenting on legal news and trials. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Napolitano

Okay, and? Does that mean his positions and opinions are too extreme for posting here?

No, but it DOES mean that he's a conservative news commentator who works for a network that pushes a conservative agenda, an agenda extremely similar to Rush Limbaugh's.

Sarah Palin said the same thing.

At least Napalitano didn't flirt with calling the Pope a Marxist, like Limbaugh, who will call anybody anything, and then let his followers come to his defense.


I'd be far more inclined to listen to Napolitano. But the fact is that I am not inclined to listen to anybody regarding what the Pope says, except the Pope.

The same people were fine when Catholics came out against birth control, and abortion....remember?

But you didn't like it when the Catholic Church came out against nuclear weapons, did you?

Get used to the idea that not everybody agrees with you all the time, and that when they don't, it doesn't mean that they automatically don't know what they are talking about.

And the Catholic Church has ALWAYS come out in support of the poor.

So, why are you surprised that the Catholic Church does not agree with a philosophy of making as much money as you possibly can by any means necessary?

[101ABN]

I'll look to the Pope for economic leadership right after I go to Warren Buffet for spiritual guidance.

[warrior1972]

Dec 8, 2013 15:18:43 GMT -8 101ABN said:

I'll look to the Pope for economic leadership right after I go to Warren Buffet for spiritual guidance.

I agree.

Wholeheartedly.