Who’d a thunk that the path to popularity among liberals was so easy. Hey, the Church hasn’t exactly been asked to sign everyone’s yearbook recently. The Church hasn’t been in the cool crowd for decades and doesn’t get invited to the cool parties.
But suddenly the cool crowd that for so long mocked the Church is now macking the Church. Big time. They’ve developed a newfound respect for the deep thinking of the Vatican.
It’s kinda’ like that moment in the movies when the geeky girl loses the glasses and pops open a few buttons and everyone all of a sudden sees she’s gorgeous. Yeah, it’s kinda’ like that. But different.
CNBC reports:
The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a “global public authority” and a “central world bank” to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises.
A major document from the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department should be music to the ears of the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.
The 18-page document, “Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority,” was at times very specific, calling, for example, for taxation measures on financial transactions.
But if you’re expecting Pope Benedict to start dressing way cooler and joining the hippies on Occupy Wall Street, it might not be happening soon.
What the media is calling THE VATICAN!!!!! in the headline, is actually just a report from the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department.
But that’s overshadowed because of the awesomenessity of their proposal which is like music to leftist ears. The report called for the establishment of “a supranational authority” with worldwide scope and “universal jurisdiction” to guide economic policies and decisions.
Here’s the thing “supranational authorities” are great, aren’t they? They always work out well here on Earth. Never any problems with “supranational authorities,” right?
Hey, Pope Benedict is so cool right now among the left that I’m betting even the Pope’s red shoes will be seen as cool. I’m not one for picking out the next fashion trend but I’m thinking we got a winner here. If you’ve got extra cash lying around, you might wanna’ invest in red shoes.
I’m just excited because I haven’t been a member of a cool group since I joined the Dungeons and Dragons club junior year. What?!
October 24, 2011 at 5:44 pm
I think we might be seeing a lot of red shoes in next season's Project Runway.
October 24, 2011 at 5:47 pm
Justice & Peace Department? Sounds more like Georgetown than the Vatican.
Establishment of a "global public authority"
and a "central world bank"?
Prima Facia Absurdity.
October 24, 2011 at 6:04 pm
Wait…
Does "Universal Jurisdiction" mean jurisdiction "throughout the universe" because that would be presumptuous and scary.
Or does it mean jurisdiction on "universal matters", because that would be even scarier…
October 24, 2011 at 6:22 pm
This is just a reiteration of Caritas in Veritate, that devoutly wishes for "World Political Authority" with "teeth" to "manage the global economy." These is not the spoutings of some splinter weirdo special panel, but this thinking is now enshrined in the social documents of the Church.
As a political, social and economic conservative, I look around the landscape of the current Church and I simply do not know where in the hell I am. I only have inklings of what might be a bridge too far for me. When they called in 2008 for nations to decriminalize homosexuality (now we know why), that was close. If they blessed artificial contraception I think I might be done with it once an for all. I just don't know.
October 24, 2011 at 6:25 pm
I look forward to the establishment of Globo-Bank.
October 24, 2011 at 6:56 pm
How did the liberal establishment miss Pope Benedict XVI address to the German Parliament last month?
"Where positivist reason considers itself the only sufficient culture and banishes all other cultural realities to the status of subcultures, it diminishes man, indeed it threatens his humanity"
Ouch. Ain't that the truth.
Source:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110922_reichstag-berlin_en.html
October 24, 2011 at 7:07 pm
does this mean I'm now supposed to return to my Pentecostal roots? Seems to me that my pastor actually warned about something like this about 40 years ago. I'm sure my fundamentalist and house church friends will think this is what all their prophecies have been predicting. I'm not inclined to leave the Church, but I must admit that I got a very sick feeling in my stomach when I read the headlines and reading the whole document didn't make me feel much better. When I became Catholic one of the questions I had was what would happen if the Pope made an infallible statement that was clearly contrary to the Bible. It hasn't happened, I don't believe it can happen, but I have to admit that this particular document is sending me to prayer. Why couldn't they have just recommended the world listen to Pope Leo XIII? I know this has to be read in light of the constant teaching of the Church, but doesn't anyone in the Vatican understand that the average Catholic, say nothing of the average non-Catholic politician is going to read this document in that light?
October 24, 2011 at 7:08 pm
That should be is not going to read the document in that light?
October 24, 2011 at 7:31 pm
This is funny! Didn't the Vatican City and Vatican Bank just come out of bankruptcy. Don't think we should be taking their financial advice.
October 24, 2011 at 8:11 pm
There's nothing contrary to the Bible about global temporal authority. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with global temporal authority under Catholic teaching, provided the principles of subsidiarity are observed (and given the complex interactions of nation-states nowadays, a global authority could be justified while observing subsidiarity). In fact, man past theologians might find it to be the ideal–one God, one Pope, one Emperor.
A good, just global authority therefore would be a good thing. The problem is it seems naive given the current examples of such institutions that another will be good and just.
October 24, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Hey we already have huge transational banks – answerable to virtually no one. Why not another pot of money contributed to by all with some strings attached.
I don't know enough to understand why the World Bank and IMF don't fit the bill already but I suspect it is because the US supports them, when it would be useful if we could actually have them help US instead.
October 24, 2011 at 9:51 pm
I wonder what the Vatican really said.
October 24, 2011 at 10:20 pm
I trust the analysis of the Acton Institute when it comes to deciphering what the Vatican has issued.
http://blog.acton.org/archives/26865-vatican-economic-analysis-incomplete-says-gregg.html
He’s got four main points (full text below): (1) the fiat money system that accelerated financial decline wouldn’t be reformed by a world bank; (2) neither would the proliferation of moral hazards, which might in fact be increased; (3) there is no mention in the document of public debt and deficits, which problems face most developed countries and can’t be ignored; (4) there is little reason to believe that a newly created world bank could avoid the mistakes made by the Federal Reserve and other sovereign banks in the lead-up to the 2008 crash.
October 24, 2011 at 10:23 pm
Interesting how conservative c-atholics can be cafeteria catholics as well… just sayin'
October 24, 2011 at 11:08 pm
The document is not from the Pope. It has no official authority. It is from a small office in the Vatican that is putting forth an opinion. It is not official Church Teaching or part of the magisterium of the Church. In other words – it has as much authority as some Bishop explaining how much sugar he likes in his coffee. Interesting, but not something to worry too much about.
Here are two commentaries on it from the blog of Catholic priest, Fr. Zuhlsdorf.
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/10/the-new-white-paper-from-the-pont-council-justice-and-peace-fr-z-rants-like-loon/
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2011/10/samuel-gregg-on-the-new-white-paper-from-the-pont-con-for-justice-and-peace/
October 24, 2011 at 11:12 pm
Every woman should have at least one pair of red shoes…
October 25, 2011 at 1:32 am
So much for the Vaticans "Justice and Peace" department. Global government by ruling elites will be peachy keen, as the commies have been telling us for decades, as long as "the common good" is what it's all about. And they know what that is. Now the Vatican agrees. Watch for an end to the attacks on the Church, now that she's going to the dark side. This is very sad. I, too, am wondering if the Church that I thought I was joining is long gone.
October 25, 2011 at 2:03 am
Don't be fooled, this is NOT in line with God's teachings. There are dangerous people everywhere, sadly, even in the Vatican. Once these people control your money, they control your food, homes and most importantly, whether or not you can worship!
Don't believe me? Take a look at this Web site where all of this has been predicted…
The messages given to us via this Web site are VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. Please don't miss this opportunity.
http://http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com/
God bless.
October 25, 2011 at 2:06 am
Sorry, Web site is:
http://www.thewarningsecondcoming.com/
October 25, 2011 at 3:24 am
The phrase "the common good" has a vastly different meaning in Catholic teaching than it does anywhere else. But hey, way to go letting Communists define the terms of the debate—you've ceded the whole question right from the word "go".
In Aquinas' writings—and he, along with Augustine, pretty much invented our teachings on politics—the common good means precisely that. The rich shall be shown no favor because of their money, nor the poor because of their numbers (or being "exploited" by the rich). It is the opposite of class warfare, but is, instead, simply the idea of equality before the law (it is just so cute that liberalism thinks it invented that).
But anyway this document has no authority, as has been pointed out. Vatican bureaucrats are still bureaucrats, and bureaucrats always assume bureaucracy is the answer to everything. "When all you have is a hammer" and all that.
But I am getting a kick out of the tinfoil hat fashion show, so by all means, continue.