Papal Economics Gets a Fail

In a report from Milan, the Brisbane Courier Mail has quoted Pope Benedict  XVI as calling for families from rich countries to sponsor families from poor countries. The cal was made as the Pope during a visit to Milan for the World Meeting of Families.

The report notes that the Pope's suggestion that families from rich countries could act as sponsors for families from poorer ones drew enthusiastic applause from his audience.

No  readers of the CathNews report of this item seem to be very enthusiastic about the novel approach.


This call  is a typical example of the drift away from Catholic Social Teachings and back to romanticism which seems to be the dominant theme of this Papacy.

The Pope's suggestion is a patronising model of paternalism which does nothing to address the crucial issues of poverty and injustice.

It is bad charity as it creates a "culture of righteousness" that is removed from the socio-political reforms of economies and political structures.

I wonder to what extent this is part of a wider agenda given the recent actions taken against Caritas International? The Pope's speech did not invite families in those rich countries to contribute to the programs of Caritas International. The organisation's work is described as "ensuring the poorest and most marginalised are the driving force in our emergency responses, sustainable development and peace building.