In Pope Francis’ recent visit to the US, he made outstanding remarks about politics and its connection to economy and finance; writes Ameera Fouad
Pope Francis made an address Thursday to a joint meeting before the US Congress in which he made a plea that politics “cannot be a slave to economy and finance’’.
“If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance,” he said.
“Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life.”
The pope cited the example of the global arms trade, condemning the “shameful and culpable silence” of those that let it continue.
“We have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”
He also urged all lawmakers to have “more equitable economic treatment” as well as to priorities this mission in order to create a more civil economy.
Both Pope Francis and his predecessor Benedict XVI come from the school of “civil economy” which seeks to foster not only wealth but also vibrant values and self governing economies.
Pope Francis is continuing in the traditional Christian tradition of prioritising the common in terms of profits and private property. Churches and monasteries have long adopted such a stance in their local market, which is based upon creating cooperative businesses.
Examples of this tradition of Christian finance include the first credit union in the United States, St Mary’s Bank, which was founded out of a New Hampshire church in 1908.
In addition, a priest founded the Mondragon group in the Basque region of Spain, the world’s largest worker-owned cooperative, in the 1950s.
