Noting the populist rhetoric of income equality but not necessarily the economic prudence, allow me to highlight the Pope’s message to the UN Secretary General last Friday — which, not surprisingly, some media sources promptly pounced upon.
Had the Intramuralist simply adopted the media’s rhetoric (note to all: never simply adopt the media’s rhetoric), I would have walked away believing the following headlines…
From Time Magazine: “Pope Francis to World: Redistribute The Wealth.”
From MSNBC: “Pope Francis Calls For Wealth Redistribution.”
Let’s look at what the Pope actually said…
It is true that he condemned an “economy of exclusion.”
It is true that he said that we need to have “future sustainable development goals” that “have a real impact on the structural causes of poverty and hunger.”
It is also true that he said: “An awareness of the dignity of each of our brothers and sisters whose life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death must lead us to share with complete freedom the goods which God’s providence has placed in our hands.” Pope Francis has been a consistent advocate for the less fortunate — beginning his advocacy at conception.
Let us also then acknowledge what was omitted from the same media’s actual headlines — including the conception omission — aspects omitted which may point to a veiled bias within our press…
Pope Francis did not say government should embrace socialism, which equates to government mandated wealth redistribution — which by definition is a “stage of development in Marxist theory,” which eventually suppresses a country’s citizens.
Pope Francis did not dismiss the individual responsibility for caring for the hungry, poor, and essentially “least of these,” which is indisputably the biblical mandate.
And when Pope Francis addressed sharing the “good which God’s providence has placed in our hands,” he spoke not only of material goods, but also of “intellectual and spiritual ones.” To focus on only the material would omit 67% of the Pope’s encouragement.
One of the aspects that absolutely amazes this semi-humble current events observer is that we quote the seemingly most popular when it appears to make us look good. For example, Time and MSNBC rush to quote the Pope when it looks like he’s endorsing government-mandated wealth redistribution, but they oft seem to omit his perspective when it comes to government-funded abortion-inducing drugs. They seem to shy mightily from the Pope’s encouraged, accompanied, spiritual teaching.
The point of this post has zero to do with wealth or drugs or our government’s role. The point is that the press picks and chooses when and what to publicize, seemingly emphasizing their desired perspective. The press thus does not always accurately represent all that any have to say. In other words, the media manipulates the news.
As for Pope Francis’s perspective, the wise pontiff does seem to emphasize an unparalleled compassion for the poor that is respectful and contagious. How far he presses in economic understanding and socialist priorities is a different conversation, and the press would be wise in acknowledging such.
They would also be wise in acknowledging the Pope’s stated desire to seek God first… something seemingly far too convenient to also omit.
Respectfully…
AR