The Holy Father expressed his hope that “in the difficult international economic context of today, particular attention is given to the people and families who are most underprivileged and the weakest of society.”
He also spoke out on behalf of those for whom life is more difficult due to the crisis: “The present situation aggravates the already worrying and sometimes tragic conditions of life for numerous people, whose human dignity is in this way gravely compromised.”
The Pontiff concluded asking God to “support all those people who are victims of extreme poverty” and bless “the efforts of those who, with their generous commitment, contribute to the building up of a more just and fraternal world, which rejects the misfortune of extreme poverty.”
Perhaps the pope should take his possessions, sell them, and give them to the poor. It’s the Christian thing to do.
Perhaps we all should forgo the feasting and spending of the holidays and give that to charities this year. I wondered if the bailout of the bigwigs (let their heads roll…in shame, into jail) should not have been divided to the common souls….ie, those who are now homeless.
PS – the pork barrel politicians are probably going to find themselves out of work next time they run if the local drumbeats are accurate…the bailout of the irresponsible will be remembered with a sick stomach…won’t be easily forgiven…as food, gas prices, and heating bills rise this winter and the next…they will remember.
Justinmartyr: The pope gave away all his possessions when he was ordained a priest. Popes typically only own a few books and some family things anyway. If you were implying that the pope owns the Vatican artifacts, he doesn’t. A pope could no more sell the Pieta than you or I could.
I didn’t know that the pope was powerless when it comes to making decisions about the finances of the church. How very naive of me. Or you?
Forego most of the trappings of Winterfest, collect the savings, and start a charity to fly poor people to Rome so they can worship God at St. Peters.
The bounty of the Roman Church is as much the poor’s as it is the Pope’s. Why does it have to be liquidated to meet someone’s materialistic notion of what’s in a poor person’s best interest? Why can’t they have somewhere beautiful to worship?
I frequently watch Christmas Mass televised from St. Patrick’s in New York City. Every year, without fail, a man in a ragged coat walks halfway down the aisle, where he then raises his arms in ecstacy. Likewise without fail, an usher or two gently leads the man to a pew were he spends the rest of the service in dignity. Do I understand this magnificent space should be sold off by the cleverest people in the room just so this man can be given a few cents of the proceeds?
Most ‘affected’, Elves/Kendall, not ‘effected’, in the title. Look it up if you’re not confident of how to use these two different words that are, of course closely related, since this changes the meaning.
I didn’t say he was powerless, nor did I say you’re naive.
God bless you.