The
majority of the men and women of our time continue to live daily in
situations of insecurity, with dire consequences. Certain pathologies
are increasing, with their psychological consequences; fear and
desperation grip the hearts of many people, even in the so-called rich
countries; the joy of life is diminishing; indecency and violence are on
the rise; poverty is becoming more and more evident. People have to
struggle to live and, frequently, to live in an undignified way. One
cause of this situation, in my opinion, is in the our relationship with
money, and our acceptance of its power over ourselves and our society.
Consequently the financial crisis which we are experiencing makes us
forget that its ultimate origin is to be found in a profound human
crisis. In the denial of the primacy of human beings! We have created
new idols. The worship of the golden calf of old (cf. Ex 32:15-34)
has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the
dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly
humane goal.
The worldwide financial and economic crisis seems to highlight their distortions and above all the gravely deficient human perspective, which reduces man to one of his needs alone, namely, consumption. Worse yet, human beings themselves are nowadays considered as consumer goods which can be used and thrown away. We have begun a throw away culture. This tendency is seen on the level of individuals and whole societies; and it is being promoted! In circumstances like these, solidarity, which is the treasure of the poor, is often considered counterproductive, opposed to the logic of finance and the economy. While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules. Moreover, indebtedness and credit distance countries from their real economy and citizens from their real buying power. Added to this, as if it were needed, is widespread corruption and selfish fiscal evasion which have taken on worldwide dimensions. The will to power and of possession has become limitless.
Concealed behind this attitude is a rejection of ethics, a rejection of God. Ethics, like solidarity, is a nuisance! It is regarded as counterproductive: as something too human, because it relativizes money and power; as a threat, because it rejects manipulation and subjection of people: because ethics leads to God, who is situated outside the categories of the market. These financiers, economists and politicians consider God to be unmanageable, unmanageable even dangerous, because he calls man to his full realization and to independence from any kind of slavery. Ethics – naturally, not the ethics of ideology – makes it possible, in my view, to create a balanced social order that is more humane. In this sense, I encourage the financial experts and the political leaders of your countries to consider the words of Saint John Chrysostom: “Not to share one’s goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs” (Homily on Lazarus, 1:6 – PG 48, 992D).
There is a need for financial reform along ethical lines
that would produce in its turn an economic reform to benefit everyone.
This would nevertheless require a courageous change of attitude on the
part of political leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with
determination and farsightedness, taking account, naturally, of their
particular situations. Money has to serve, not to rule! The Pope loves
everyone, rich and poor alike, but the Pope has the duty, in Christ’s
name, to remind the rich to help the poor, to respect them, to promote
them. The Pope appeals for disinterested solidarity and for a return to
person-centred ethics in the world of finance and economics.
For her part, the Church always works for the integral development of every person. In this sense, she reiterates that the common good should not be simply an extra, simply a conceptual scheme of inferior quality tacked onto political programmes. The Church encourages those in power to be truly at the service of the common good of their peoples. She urges financial leaders to take account of ethics and solidarity. And why should they not turn to God to draw inspiration from his designs? In this way, a new political and economic mindset would arise that would help to transform the absolute dichotomy between the economic and social spheres into a healthy symbiosis.
Pope Francis
(http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-financial-reform-along-ethical-lines)
