Pope: World of Finance Must be Driven by Ethical Decisions

(22 May 10 – RV) Just one day after launching his call to the lay Catholics of the world to be more active in the public square, on Saturday Pope Benedict XVI met with one of the most industrious groups of lay believers, the Centesimus Annus Pro-Pontifice (CAPP) Foundation.

CAPP is a lay-led, pontifical organization founded by Pope John Paul II as a vehicle for lay education and evangelization of the social doctrine of the Church as contained in the encyclical, "Centesimus Annus." The foundation’s main goal is to develop a strong, committed group of Catholic lay men and women, rich in faith and theologically prepared to be present in public life to explain, develop and implement the Churches Social Teaching.

No better audience, therefore, for the Pope’s latest challenge, the creation of a credible voice in political life to build common good and give direction to a world that is floundering in the midst of a deep moral, cultural and financial crisis. .

“Today more than ever,- he told them -the human family can grow as a free society of free peoples when globalization is driven by solidarity and the common good, and by social justice, which find a precious source in the message of Christ and the Church”

The Papal discourse came only one day after the US Senate’s passing of its version of a reform package for banking and financial institutions and on the heels of renewed fears of recession in the Eurozone if Europe fails to tackle its debts.

“The crisis and difficulties that international relations, states, sοcieties and the economy are currently suffering – he said - are in fact largely due to lack of trust and adequate creative and dynamic solidarity for the common good”.

Pointing to the encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI said “one of the greatest risks in today's world is that "the de facto interdependence of people and nations is not matched by ethical interaction”, which he added, “appears to be too weak among those in government who, in the face of renewed episodes of irresponsible speculation against weaker countries, do not react with appropriate decisions about the government of finance.

“Politics should have primacy on finance and ethics should guide all activities”, the Pope concluded, because “the integral development of peoples, the objective of universal common good, is not realised by the spread of entrepreneurship cognitive and material goods alone” it is above all realised those good decisions that are possible when there is the notion of an integral human good”.

“In this, religions are crucial, especially when teaching fraternity and peace”. “When religion is excluded from the public sphere or when on the other hand, religious fundamentalism prevails, the life of society is impoverished and political motivations can become overbearing and aggressive face”.