by Thomas J. Reese

October 25, 2011

Pope Benedict XVI rides in his popemobile through Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, last month. The Vatican has released a document on world economics, condemning "idolatry of the market."
Pope Benedict XVI rides in his popemobile through Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, last month. The Vatican has released a document on world economics, condemning "idolatry of the market."

Thomas J. Reese is a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, and a former editor of America, the national Catholic weekly magazine.
The Vatican released a document on the world economy on Monday that will cause heartburn in the Tea Party, but will be cheered by the folks occupying Wall Street.

This will surprise most Americans who think the pope is a Republican because he opposes abortion and gay marriage. But when it comes to economic justice, Pope Benedict XVI is to the left of President Obama. Heck, he is even to the left of Nancy Pelosi.
Those who read the pope's 2009 encyclical "Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)" will not be surprised by this new document. In that encyclical, the pope decried "corruption and illegality" among economic and political elites in both rich and poor countries. He told financiers they must rediscover the ethical foundation of their activity and stop abusing savers. He wants a radical rethinking of economics so that it is guided not simply by profits but by "an ethics which is people-centered."
click here for complete article:http://www.npr.org/2011/10/24/141659992/occupy-wall-streets-most-unlikely-ally-the-pope