Last June Pope Benedict spoke to a group of those whose purpose is to promote the social teachings of the Church. He said that the world financial crisis points to the need for a rethinking of the ways nations deal with the economy. He said that any economic system must be oriented toward the common good. It must be at the service of human freedom which is fundamentally ethical and religious. We must respect the right to ownership and foster opportunities for work and human growth. Also, there is the obligation to consider the needy and the weak.
Neither the Pope nor the Church lays blame on anyone or any institution for the current downfall in the economy. He teaches what is based on sound Christian morality. When we take a look at human history, particularly at many occurrences in the Bible, we see that, whenever men depart from God, there are problems—serious ones. Not only personal actions, but also, institutional and governmental actions, have their consequences. Unbridled greed and selfishness leads to ruin. This ruin is first found in the soul. Then it is soon reflected in the person. Unfortunately, it often affects the innocent.
Let us not underestimate the power of prayer. We need many prayers for good governments in our world from the local level up to the top. We need people whose ambition is not for personal power, prestige, or wealth, but rather to serve their countries. We need leaders who keep all people in their minds and who keep God in their hearts.
Fr. Stanley
