Pope to global elite: Do more for poor

[onehandle]

Source: CNN

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Pope Francis has challenged the world's business elite to do more to help the poor and vulnerable.

In an address read by Cardinal Peter Turkson at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics said it was intolerable that thousands die each day from hunger.

The pope urged leaders to adopt a new "political and business mentality" and to put their skills to work for the benefit of those living in dire poverty.

"I ask you to ensure humanity is served by wealth and not ruled by it," he said.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/21/news/pope-speech-davos/index.html

[Berlum]

1. "The Pope can kiss our gold-plated keesters. Smirk." - The Eeleete, Inc. (R - 1% - GlobalStyle)

[warrant46]

2. +1

[jwirr]

3. The rw churches does not think he is telling them to support government programs for the poor - they

think that they only need to do more for the poor who belong to their own church. The visit with President Obama should help to clarify that issue.

[L0oniX]

7. The poor in church don't pay tithes so they are only there for show ...like a trained pet.

Seen this go on many times.

[jwirr]

8. I have also seen it first hand. Fortunately the church I belong to has been helping me and others

all along. We are a very liberal church and many of the food programs are administered out of our family room. Also other programs such as AA.

[L0oniX]

11. I used to feed the homeless with some church people but then they made a show of me...

and presented me an award in their church. That's when I left.

[hrmjustin]

4. The global elite won't listen.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. I notice the tone of great respect he offers in stark contrast from the lurid, sharp

characterizations he has offered to and about LGBT couples and families. Here he is consolatory, but with LGBT people he has been absolutely venomous, accusing us of being demonic and all sorts of strident nonsense. It is very telling.

[dbackjon]

9. Yup - and continues to employ anti-gay zealots.

[ronnie624]

16. Very telling indeed.

[L0oniX]

6. Good luck with that. It's good to have hopes, dreams and goals.

[ronnie624]

10. Charity be damned.

Poverty will not be eliminated on the whims of the rich. The world's resources belong to everyone, not a tiny fraction of the population. "Wealth" doesn't drive economic activity, human labor does.

[Arugula Latte]

12. Ya know, Popey, universal access to birth control and safe abortion is a GREAT way to start

to reduce poverty! Oh, but I guess that undermines the church's essential mission, which is to stomp down women.

[Cryptoad]

13. Seeing that

Vatican has untold wealth it has horded over the ages,,, maybe it should lead the way on using it's wealth for the Poor!

[cinnabonbon]

14. That is a kickass quote.

So I like him for that and his passion in protecting the poor. I just hope that he'll turn around on some other issues that are important to me.

[malthaussen]

15. Charity begins at home, Francis. n/t

[olegramps]

17. The Catholic Church's past abuses have seriously damaged any hope for respect.

Many acknowledge and welcome Pope Francis' redirect the Church's focus to the fundamental teaching of Jesus. However the hypocrisy and the massive abuse of children that was systematically covered up can not be easily dispelled. The redirection of the Catholic Church's rigid interpretations and stringent doctrines on a number of issues appears to make it virtually impossible to reexamine the Church's position on a number of critical issues any time in the near future.

The Tea Party extremists remind me of the same danger they share with the Catholic Church of taking positions that do not allow for any deviation or possible compromise. The question remains can the Catholic Church change its positions on these fundamental issues and remain the Catholic Church. Its positions on these so called immutable issues indeed is the very definition of itself. Timeless and unchanging.

The only choice for many Catholics was not to remain and hopelessly cling to the notion that the Church would change its views, but, often with a sad heart to simply abandon the Church. Some left in anger, some, including clergy and nuns, disillusioned by the dashed hope that had been fostered by Vatican II, and the massive exodus of young people who simply see the church as totally irrelevant to their lifestyles and needs. A large portion of those who remain simply choose to want to belief and what the simple ignore. Francis has an impossible task and is a prisoner of the very doctrines that define who and what he is.