Is the Pope a communist?

[bemildred]

Pope Francis's critique of free-market economics has made him an icon for the Left and prompted claims that he is a communist. The leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics has called capitalism a source of inequality at best - and at worst a killer. Is the Pope, as his critics claim, a red radical?

On his way back from the Victory Day Parade in Moscow last month, the Cuban leader Raul Castro stopped off in Rome to thank Pope Francis for his role in Cuba's rapprochement with the United States. "If the Pope continues this way," Castro said afterwards, "I will go back to praying and go back to the church - I am not joking."

In September Francis will return the compliment with a stop-over in Cuba when he travels to the United States. And the American visit could turn out to be the most difficult overseas trip of his pontificate.

Raul Castro's endorsement is unlikely to recommend Francis to the American right, many of whom responded with visceral rage to President Obama's Cuban initiative.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33024951

[RobertEarl]

1. Was Jesus a communist?

From my readings I'd say yes he was, or would be today.

Most any Christian trying to live up to the name would be.

[bemildred]

3. I think it's funny that they think it's a provocative question.

What else would a good Christian be?

[Scootaloo]

2. Does a cardinal poop in a tree?

[MisterP]

4. I don't think the Know-Nothings have been able to tell them apart for, oh, two centuries now ...

[Joe Chi Minh]

5. I posted this yesterday (an excerpt), but I think it bears repeating, particularly

since it was a sole post under the OP, which was not as directly targeted on the issue. It was posted to the Catholic magazine, Crisis, by a Russell Snow:

'.... The current economic system, regardless of its manifold benefits is not grounded in Christian principles, but in the principles of the 18th century European Enlightenment. The various economic ideas, values, and systems grounded in 18th century secularism, are essentially godless and implicitly materialistic. Whatever you want to call the economic system in the US and in many countries of the world, whatever the material benefits, it is based upon the structures of sin and intrinsically evil practices, that are tolerated and even fostered by the powerful people who run the system. It is evident that big business in the United States accepts and promotes the immoral order being established in the US and, through the US government, is bent on spreading this order throughout the world.

It is not correct to characterize the attempt of Pope Francis to teach the Church in these matters as Manichean. He is not promoting a dualism which divides humanity into good and evil. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and his powers conferred upon him as successor of Peter, he is teaching the Church, as have all the modern popes, including Benedict XVI, that the radical secularism which informs the economic and political systems, especially in the western world, are as serious a threat to the Catholic Church and the salvation of souls as were the various Marxist and Fascist governments were in the 20th century.'

To that I would add, '... the salvation of bodies, as well as souls.'

[bemildred]

6. Yes, our economic system is predatory, there is no reasonable way to call that Christian.

"You cannot worship both God and Mammon".

Although people do all the time.

The Pope gets that, and I give him a boatload of credit for speaking to it, whatever other issues one might have with him on other subjects.