The New Tyranny

Pope Francis is proving to be a remarkable leader of the Catholic church. In the Evangelii Gaudium recently published he admonishes unquestioned faith in capitalism and the free market. Using exceptionally strong language he refers to an “idolatry of money” that will lead to a “new tyranny.” I think it is about time that this aspect of the Catholic faith be brought front and center. Perhaps now we will finally see the duplicity of those Catholics who claim to be pro-life with respect to abortion but remain steadfastly anti-life in their economic and social policies. In what would be a welcome bit of schadenfreude, perhaps the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops will recommend denying communion to any politicians who support economic policies that lead to the further exclusion, marginalization, and suffering of the majority of the world’s population. I for one suggest we start with Paul Ryan. After all, as Pope Francis notes, “an economy of exclusion and inequality … kills.”