WASHINGTON, May 16 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today applauded Pope Francis for condemning a “cult of money” in the world that he said was oppressing the poor.
In a major speech at the Vatican on Thursday, Francis said the global financial system has worsened poverty while benefiting the wealthy few. “While the income of the minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority of the majority is crumbling,” Francis said.
Sanders commended the pope. “At a time when the gap between rich and everyone else is growing wider, at a time when Wall Street and large financial institutions are exerting extraordinary power over the American and world economy, I applaud the pope for speaking out on these enormously important issues,” Sanders said.
The pope’s comments on the financial crisis were made in remarks to ambassadors presenting their credentials at the Vatican.
“The majority of the men and women of our time continue to live daily in situations of insecurity, with dire consequences… People have to struggle to live and, frequently, to live in an undignified way,” the pope said.
The pope called on financial and political leaders to reform the global financial system. “There is a need for financial reform along ethical lines that would produce in its turn an economic reform to benefit everyone,” the pope said. “Money has to serve, not to rule.”
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The Expensive Shoes of the Fisherman
The Senators statement: ~The pope called on financial and political leaders to reform the global financial system. “There is a need for financial reform along ethical lines that would produce in its turn an economic reform to benefit everyone,” the pope said. “Money has to serve, not to rule.”
I imagine the irony and indeed, the indecent hypocrisy of this statement is not lost to most people.
Neither am I surprised to see that one of America’s most recognized “socialist” senators “applaud the pope for speaking out on these enormously important issues.”
Really Bernie? (if I may use his publicized name of endearment to many Vermonters.)
If the CEO of JP Morgan Chase had made the same statement I wouldn’t have given it any more credence than I would the CEO of the Vatican.
Talk is cheap. Living up to the christian “vow of poverty” is not.
The complexity and secrecy of the Vatican worth will never be shown in its truest itemization.
But even roughing over the figures, both alleged and real, is mindboggling.
Even twenty years ago, Avro Manhattan, writer, philosopher and critic of the Vatican, wrote extensively on the true worldwide financial worth of the Catholic Church:
“The Vatican has large investments with the Rothschilds of Britain, France and America, with the Hambros Bank, with the Credit Suisse in London and Zurich. In the United States it has large investments with the Morgan Bank, the Chase-Manhattan Bank, the First National Bank of New York, the Bankers Trust Company, and others. The Vatican has billions of shares in the most powerful international corporations such as Gulf Oil, Shell, General Motors, Bethlehem Steel, General Electric, International Business Machines, T.W.A., etc.” (…)The Catholic church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property owner in existence. She is a greater possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank, giant trust, government or state of the whole globe.”
Manhattan goes on to ask, “Jesus, the founder of Christianity, was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution on earth. (…) How come, that such an institution, ruling in the name of this same itinerant preacher, whose want was such that he had not even a pillow upon which to rest his head, is now so top-heavy with riches that she can rival – indeed, that she can put to shame – the combined might of the most redoubtable financial trusts, of the most potent industrial super-giants, and of the most prosperous global corporation of the world?”
Now, if Senator Sanders had made a similar statement about Jesus and the church, he’d be “the man,” even though I’d certainly feel the futility of challenging such a giant institution. But, when our “man of the people” feels the need to pat dear Francis on the back for what is essentially a worthless and gratuitous “rich versus poor” statement, it makes me wonder when our aging senator is retired, what will the new blood say?
Will our new senator have both feet on the ground based in reality and hopefully elevated above hypocrisy?
Pope Francis the Obvious
Well, I guess it’s better than completely ignoring what’s happening but it’s not doing anything to solve it. Francis has enormous power. When he uses it to actually improve somebody’s lot in life I’ll be impressed.
A pope for a day
That is a good point when you say “When he uses it to actually improve somebody’s lot in life I’ll be impressed.”
So many of us talk about and wanting to “change the world” and “make things better.”
Take Bernie, for example. His views were denigrated on the Capitol because of his socialists leanings. By being popular in VT, he was able to sustain his position, and by toning down his rhetoric and getting in line with the program, he developed staying power. While he should be commended for his good help in this state, his actual achievements are very few when it comes to influencing U.S. policy to “make the world a better place.”
Francis, on the other hand, while subject to cardinal scrutiny, is one of the few stand-alone people on this planet who could “actually improve somebody’s lot in life.”
Bernie has a divisive and fighting congress behind his back. Francis however has the greatest figure and symbol of peace and love, real or mythologized, at his disposal in modern times. But like other popes, it is a tool he’ll cautiously use while making gratuitous statements and giving lip-service, hoping someone is listening.
All Bernie did was pat him on the back, just as gratuitously as the pope himself. It’s not enough.