![\"Pope](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dougsbriefcase.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/credit-telegraph.jpg\")
<\/a>Pope Fran\u00adcis\u2019s inau\u00adgur\u00adal encycli\u00adcal cel\u00ade\u00adbrat\u00aded the gospel and exco\u00adri\u00adat\u00aded mar\u00adkets. But did he over\u00adlook some very good news? [Cred\u00adit: Telegraph]<\/p><\/div>In writ\u00ading about the joy of the gospel, Pope Fran\u00adcis<\/a> over\u00adlooked some very good news \u2013 about mar\u00adkets, about com\u00adpas\u00adsion, about poverty.\n His first encycli\u00adcal (Evan\u00adgelii Gaudi\u00adum, \u201cThe Joy of The Gospel\u201d) has drawn atten\u00adtion less for its focus on mis\u00adsions than for its eco\u00adnom\u00adic pro\u00adnounce\u00adments. Pres\u00adi\u00addent Oba\u00adma favor\u00adably cit\u00aded the doc\u00adu\u00adment in his recent remarks on eco\u00adnom\u00adic mobil\u00adi\u00adty<\/a>,<\/span> while some con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive com\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtors have offered up harsh crit\u00adi\u00adcisms<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Pope sees a world marked by exclu\u00adsion, finan\u00adcial dom\u00adi\u00adna\u00adtion and a \u201cnew idol\u00ada\u00adtry of mon\u00adey\u201d [para\u00adgraph 55]. Our time, he writes, is a his\u00adtoric \u201cturn\u00ading-point\u201d for human\u00adi\u00adty [52]. Acknowl\u00adedg\u00ading that tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy, both a result of pros\u00adper\u00adi\u00adty and among its caus\u00ades, has \u201cimprove[d] people\u2019s wel\u00adfare,\u201d the Pope cor\u00adrect\u00adly reminds us that many \u201care bare\u00adly liv\u00ading from day to day,\u201d that their \u201chearts \u2026 are gripped by fear and des\u00adper\u00ada\u00adtion,\u201d that \u201cinequal\u00adi\u00adty is increas\u00ading\u00adly evi\u00addent\u201d [52]. He attrib\u00adut\u00ades inequal\u00adi\u00adty to \u201crapid and cumu\u00adla\u00adtive advances occur\u00adring in the sci\u00adences and tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy,\u201d which have bred \u201cnew and anony\u00admous kinds of pow\u00ader\u201d [52].<\/p>\n Belief in the \u201cabsolute auton\u00ado\u00admy of the mar\u00adket\u00adplace\u201d has pre\u00advent\u00aded gov\u00adern\u00adments from \u201cexercis[ing] any form of con\u00adtrol\u201d over them, engen\u00adder\u00ading \u201ca new tyran\u00adny\u201d that is \u201cinvis\u00adi\u00adble and often vir\u00adtu\u00adal,\u201d and that \u201cuni\u00adlat\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly and relent\u00adless\u00adly impos\u00ades its own laws and rules\u201d [56].<\/p>\n The Pope, in short, is no fan of mar\u00adkets. Nor is he much for the clas\u00adsic lib\u00ader\u00adal notions of indi\u00advid\u00adual lib\u00ader\u00adty and prop\u00ader\u00adty. He crit\u00adi\u00adcizes what he calls \u201cthe inor\u00addi\u00adnate defense of indi\u00advid\u00adual rights\u201d [190]. When it comes to prop\u00ader\u00adty, he gets a bit more cryp\u00adtic, sug\u00adgest\u00ading that pri\u00advate own\u00ader\u00adship is more a \u201csocial func\u00adtion\u201d than a right.<\/p>\n Sol\u00adi\u00addar\u00adi\u00adty is a spon\u00adta\u00adneous reac\u00adtion by those who rec\u00adog\u00adnize that the social func\u00adtion of prop\u00ader\u00adty and the uni\u00adver\u00adsal des\u00adti\u00adna\u00adtion of goods are real\u00adi\u00adties which come before pri\u00advate prop\u00ader\u00adty. The pri\u00advate own\u00ader\u00adship of goods is jus\u00adti\u00adfied by the need to pro\u00adtect and increase them, so that they can bet\u00adter serve the com\u00admon good; for this rea\u00adson, sol\u00adi\u00addar\u00adi\u00adty must be lived as the deci\u00adsion to restore to the poor what belongs to them [189].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The \u201csocial func\u00adtion\u201d of prop\u00ader\u00adty involves \u201cthe uni\u00adver\u00adsal des\u00adti\u00adna\u00adtion of goods.\u201d Pri\u00advate own\u00ader\u00adship is sec\u00adondary to that social func\u00adtion. It is sim\u00adply a way to induce peo\u00adple to \u201cpro\u00adtect and increase\u201d the val\u00adue of prop\u00ader\u00adty. Once that func\u00adtion has been accom\u00adplished, the \u201cincrease\u201d is to be \u201crestore[d] to the poor\u201d since it \u201cbelongs to them.\u201d So if you own a piece of land, you are to plow it, plant and tend it, then \u201crestore\u201d the fruit of the har\u00advest to those to whom it \u201cbelongs\u201d: those who nei\u00adther own the land nor cul\u00adti\u00advat\u00aded it. Such are the moral demands of \u201csol\u00adi\u00addar\u00adi\u00adty.\u201d<\/p>\n Con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtives who believe in mar\u00adkets and in the Constitution\u2019s pro\u00adtec\u00adtion of life, lib\u00ader\u00adty and prop\u00ader\u00adty may find this pas\u00adsage jar\u00adring. They should bear in mind that the Pope is say\u00ading very lit\u00adtle new here. The doc\u00adu\u00adment is gen\u00ader\u00adous\u00adly sprin\u00adkled with quotes from his pre\u00adde\u00adces\u00adsors, who have writ\u00adten sim\u00adi\u00adlar things. The Church nev\u00ader embraced John Locke (much less Adam Smith) or the Amer\u00adi\u00adcan Rev\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion, and cer\u00adtain\u00adly not the French Rev\u00ado\u00adlu\u00adtion or even Ital\u00adian Uni\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion. It was con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive in the Euro\u00adpean sense, sup\u00adport\u00ading (and, in the Papal States, prac\u00adtic\u00ading) feu\u00addal\u00adism and then mod\u00adern monarchy.<\/p>\n In both, prop\u00ader\u00adty own\u00ader\u00adship was con\u00adcen\u00adtrat\u00aded in the hands of the few. Serfs gen\u00ader\u00adal\u00adly didn\u2019t own the land they worked and were denied rights that we take for grant\u00aded, includ\u00ading enjoy\u00ading the fruits of their labor. The land-hold\u00ading class, how\u00adev\u00ader, had an oblig\u00ada\u00adtion to pro\u00advide for the safe\u00adty and well-being of those who lived and worked on their prop\u00ader\u00adty. They (the\u00ado\u00adret\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly) used their wealth to pro\u00adtect their charges. The rela\u00adtion\u00adship between lord and serf was one of mutu\u00adal com\u00admit\u00adment, sealed by an oath. The Church retains some\u00adthing of this faint\u00adly medieval impulse, pro\u00adfess\u00ading that it holds ines\u00adtimable wealth in prop\u00ader\u00adty and trea\u00adsure only for the ben\u00ade\u00adfit of its mem\u00adbers and the broad\u00ader world.<\/p>\n From this per\u00adspec\u00adtive, mar\u00adkets seem chaot\u00adic and bar\u00adbar\u00adic. If every\u00adone has rights, where are the mutu\u00adal oblig\u00ada\u00adtions and who assures that they are being met? The Pope\u2019s hor\u00adror at the mar\u00adket\u00adplace is, in that sense, inte\u00adgral\u00adly relat\u00aded to his hor\u00adror at mod\u00adern sex\u00adu\u00adal norms. Unreg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00aded sex resem\u00adbles unreg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00aded mar\u00adkets, with indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals free to pur\u00adsue their own pref\u00ader\u00adences. No good can come of either. It is no acci\u00addent that the doc\u00adu\u00adment inte\u00adgrates crit\u00adi\u00adcism of free mar\u00adkets with crit\u00adi\u00adcism of free access to abor\u00adtion [213]. Con\u00adser\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtives who cheer that affir\u00adma\u00adtion should under\u00adstand its insev\u00ader\u00adable tie to the eco\u00adnom\u00adic pro\u00adnounce\u00adments to which they object. Sim\u00adi\u00adlar\u00adly, pro\u00adgres\u00adsives who cel\u00ade\u00adbrate the Pope\u2019s dis\u00adtaste for mar\u00adkets should also bear in mind what he says about abortion.<\/p>\n The Church can\u00adnot be expect\u00aded to change her posi\u00adtion on this ques\u00adtion. I want to be com\u00adplete\u00adly hon\u00adest in this regard. This is not some\u00adthing sub\u00adject to alleged reforms or \u2018mod\u00adern\u00adiza\u00adtions.\u2019 It is not \u2018pro\u00adgres\u00adsive\u2019 to try to resolve prob\u00adlems by elim\u00adi\u00adnat\u00ading a human life [214].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Like it or not, the encycli\u00adcal mere\u00adly reaf\u00adfirms Church teach\u00ading on mar\u00adkets, prop\u00ader\u00adty rights and abor\u00adtion. The Pope can hard\u00adly be crit\u00adi\u00adcized for restat\u00ading and repack\u00adag\u00ading the Church\u2019s phi\u00adlos\u00ado\u00adphy, how\u00adev\u00ader it may be received by mod\u00aderns on the Left and Right. What I would crit\u00adi\u00adcize is the document\u2019s dark and despair\u00ading tone in speak\u00ading of pover\u00adty and inequal\u00adi\u00adty. The Pope states that free mar\u00adkets ren\u00adder it impos\u00adsi\u00adble to solve any of the world\u2019s problems.<\/p>\n As long as the prob\u00adlems of the poor are not rad\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly resolved by reject\u00ading the absolute auton\u00ado\u00admy of mar\u00adkets and finan\u00adcial spec\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion and by attack\u00ading the struc\u00adtur\u00adal caus\u00ades of inequal\u00adi\u00adty, no solu\u00adtion will be found for the world\u2019s prob\u00adlems or, for that mat\u00adter, to any prob\u00adlems [202].<\/p><\/blockquote>\n It is here that the Pope, in my view at least, ven\u00adtures beyond expound\u00ading Church doc\u00adtrine and miss\u00ades one of the most promis\u00ading real\u00adi\u00adties of our age: mar\u00adkets and the wealth they pro\u00adduce are mak\u00ading great strides toward solv\u00ading the prob\u00adlem of glob\u00adal pover\u00adty. Con\u00adsid\u00ader this chart, which appeared last June in The Econ\u00ado\u00admist<\/a>:<\/p>\n The per\u00adcent\u00adage of peo\u00adple liv\u00ading in extreme pover\u00adty \u2013 defined as the equiv\u00ada\u00adlent of $1.25 per day \u2013 dropped by half between 1990 and 2010 and is pro\u00adject\u00aded to con\u00adtin\u00adue its steep decline. The chart, which the Econ\u00ado\u00admist adapt\u00aded from a recent Brook\u00adings Insti\u00adtute study<\/a>,<\/span> shows that, under some sce\u00adnar\u00adios, extreme pover\u00adty might be vir\u00adtu\u00adal\u00adly elim\u00adi\u00adnat\u00aded by 2030.<\/p>\n This is a remark\u00adable and stun\u00adning devel\u00adop\u00adment. Extreme pover\u00adty has been ram\u00adpant through\u00adout the ages. In most coun\u00adtries, as the Econ\u00ado\u00admist recent\u00adly not\u00aded, \u201cPover\u00adty was not even a prob\u00adlem; it was a plain, unchange\u00adable fact<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n That fact is now chang\u00ading and chang\u00ading abrupt\u00adly, rais\u00ading sub\u00adstan\u00addard liv\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adtions that have per\u00adsist\u00aded through\u00adout most of the world for mil\u00adlen\u00adnia. The pover\u00adty rate is falling across the globe, in large part, because of the growth and lib\u00ader\u00adal\u00adiza\u00adtion of mar\u00adkets in devel\u00adop\u00ading economies and the tech\u00adno\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal improve\u00adments and eco\u00adnom\u00adic growth they have engendered.<\/p>\n Pover\u00adty also has declined because of the char\u00adi\u00adty of wealthy indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals (some reli\u00adgious, some not) and their gov\u00adern\u00adments (which derive the bulk of their resources from wealthy indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals and pro\u00adduc\u00adtive mar\u00adkets). To cite but two exam\u00adples, Con\u00adgress, at the urg\u00ading of for\u00admer Pres\u00adi\u00addent George W. Bush, in 2003 launched the Emer\u00adgency Plan for AIDS<\/span> Relief (PEPFAR<\/span><\/a>), as the largest effort by any nation in his\u00adto\u00adry to com\u00adbat a sin\u00adgle dis\u00adease. The Glob\u00adal Fund<\/a> coop\u00ader\u00adates close\u00adly with PEPFAR<\/span>, fight\u00ading AIDS<\/span>, tuber\u00adcu\u00adlo\u00adsis and malar\u00adia. It is a pub\u00adlic-pri\u00advate part\u00adner\u00adship that com\u00adbines gov\u00adern\u00adment aid with pri\u00advate phil\u00adan\u00adthropy. 54 coun\u00adtries have togeth\u00ader pledged $28 bil\u00adlion to the effort. Suc\u00adcess\u00adful cap\u00adi\u00adtal\u00adists also are doing their parts. The Bill and Melin\u00adda Gates Foun\u00adda\u00adtion<\/a> has pledged $1.4 bil\u00adlion to the Glob\u00adal Fund, Coca Cola <\/a>$1 bil\u00adlion, and malar\u00adia ini\u00adtia\u00adtives spon\u00adsored by the Methodist and Luther\u00adan<\/a> church\u00ades an unspec\u00adi\u00adfied amount.<\/p>\n It is not mere\u00adly the mag\u00adni\u00adtude and gen\u00aderos\u00adi\u00adty of these efforts that impress\u00ades. While the Pope notes that \u201ca num\u00adber of dis\u00adeases are spread\u00ading\u201d [52], the most preva\u00adlent and per\u00adni\u00adcious are being pre\u00advent\u00aded, treat\u00aded and, in some cas\u00ades, are on the verge of being erad\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded. Dur\u00ading its first five years, PEPFAR<\/span><\/a> sup\u00adport\u00aded the pro\u00advi\u00adsion of treat\u00adment to more than 2 mil\u00adlion peo\u00adple with HIV<\/span>, care to more than 10 mil\u00adlion peo\u00adple, includ\u00ading more than 4 mil\u00adlion orphans and vul\u00adner\u00ada\u00adble chil\u00addren, and ser\u00advices to pre\u00advent moth\u00ader-to-child trans\u00admis\u00adsion of HIV<\/span> dur\u00ading near\u00adly 16 mil\u00adlion preg\u00adnan\u00adcies. It recent\u00adly announced the mil\u00adlionth child born HIV<\/span>-free<\/a> as a result of these efforts.<\/p>\n Glob\u00adal AIDS<\/span> infec\u00adtion and mor\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty rates<\/a> are dra\u00admat\u00adi\u00adcal\u00adly declin\u00ading, in part as a con\u00adse\u00adquence of these inter\u00adven\u00adtions. Polio cas\u00ades<\/a> have plunged by 99 per\u00adcent since 1988. Malar\u00adia inci\u00addence<\/a> has fall\u00aden by at least 50 per\u00adcent in one-third of the coun\u00adtries where the dis\u00adease is endem\u00adic and the Bill &<\/span> Melin\u00adda Gates Foun\u00adda\u00adtion has com\u00admit\u00adted $2 bil\u00adlion in pur\u00adsuit of its eradication.<\/p>\n The pos\u00adi\u00adtive effects of these efforts by suc\u00adcess\u00adful cap\u00adi\u00adtal\u00adists and the gov\u00adern\u00adments of advanced, mar\u00adket-based economies are too numer\u00adous to men\u00adtion. Between 1970 and 2010, glob\u00adal life expectan\u00adcies<\/a> improved by 11 years for men and 12 years for women, an aston\u00adish\u00ading advance in the course of a gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion. Annu\u00adal deaths of chil\u00addren under 5<\/a> have declined from 12.6 per mil\u00adlion to 6.6 mil\u00adlion since 2000. Edu\u00adca\u00adtion also is improv\u00ading, with glob\u00adal lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adcy rates<\/a> reach\u00ading 84 per\u00adcent in 2010 . Progress is being made against mal\u00adnu\u00adtri\u00adtion<\/a>,<\/span> with 156 mil\u00adlion few\u00ader peo\u00adple not hav\u00ading enough to eat than in 1990.<\/p>\n I could go on, but the point is clear enough: though they still have a long way to go, efforts to reduce pover\u00adty by address\u00ading its caus\u00ades and alle\u00advi\u00adat\u00ading its con\u00adse\u00adquences are enjoy\u00ading a lev\u00adel of suc\u00adcess nev\u00ader before seen in world history.<\/p>\n That isn\u2019t to say that aid pro\u00adgrams are with\u00adout their crit\u00adics or flaws. But even in his recent scathing piece<\/a> on West\u00adern aid to Africa, Paul Ther\u00adoux acknowl\u00adedged, \u201cNev\u00ader have so many peo\u00adple, so many agen\u00adcies, so many strat\u00ada\u00adgems, so much mon\u00adey been deployed to improve Africa.\u201d Even if Ther\u00adoux is right that they\u2019re under\u00adachiev\u00ading (and sta\u00adtis\u00adtics seem to belie that assess\u00adment), the amount and extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adnary nature of this aid sug\u00adgests that the Pope may have it wrong when he argues that eco\u00adnom\u00adic free\u00addom breeds indif\u00adfer\u00adence toward the poor.<\/p>\n The encycli\u00adcal depicts wealthy nations and indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adals as moral\u00adly obtuse con\u00adsumers who neglect their neigh\u00adbors\u2019 needs. They are, the Pope writes, \u201cin thrall to an indi\u00advid\u00adu\u00adal\u00adis\u00adtic, indif\u00adfer\u00adent and self-cen\u00adtered men\u00adtal\u00adi\u00adty\u201d [208]. Though that descrip\u00adtion sure\u00adly fits in some cas\u00ades, it miss\u00ades a larg\u00ader real\u00adi\u00adty. The free\u00addom to acquire wealth and its antecedent right to own prop\u00ader\u00adty not only dri\u00adve eco\u00adnom\u00adic growth and raise liv\u00ading stan\u00addards but also enable human\u00adi\u00adtar\u00adi\u00adan acts. Far from hard\u00aden\u00ading hearts, pros\u00adper\u00adi\u00adty often soft\u00adens them, inspir\u00ading acts of char\u00adi\u00adty and gen\u00aderos\u00adi\u00adty. The aggre\u00adgate effects of those acts are seen in declin\u00ading rates of extreme pover\u00adty, mor\u00adbid\u00adi\u00adty and child mortality.<\/p>\n The Pope\u2019s focus on the poor is well-placed. Glob\u00adal pover\u00adty con\u00adtin\u00adues to pose a daunt\u00ading chal\u00adlenge, despite remark\u00adable progress of efforts to reduce it. Car\u00ading for the poor is a mark of faith, mer\u00adcy a char\u00adac\u00adter\u00adis\u00adtic of those who cel\u00ade\u00adbrate God\u2019s mer\u00adcy, grace a trait of those who have been embraced by God\u2019s grace. It is at the heart of the gospel, the good news that ani\u00admates Chris\u00adtians of all confessions.<\/p>\n The Pope is right to remind us that Jesus came to \u201cpro\u00adclaim good news to the poor\u201d (Luke 4:18<\/a>). He might per\u00adhaps con\u00adsid\u00ader that his mis\u00adtrust of mar\u00adkets has caused him to over\u00adlook their role in pro\u00adduc\u00ading some very good news about the poor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In writ\u00ading about the joy of the gospel, Pope Fran\u00adcis over\u00adlooked some very good news \u2013 about mar\u00adkets, about com\u00adpas\u00adsion, about pover\u00adty. His first encycli\u00adcal (Evan\u00adgelii Gaudi\u00adum, \u201cThe Joy of The Gospel\u201d) has drawn atten\u00adtion less for its focus on \u2026 Con\u00adtin\u00adue read\u00ading <\/a><\/p>\n