Christians urged to reject usury and injustice
-02/11/05
In his weekly ëgeneral audienceí in front of 30,000 people at St Peterís in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI has urged Christians to make a ìfundamental optionî of generosity towards their neighbours, and to reject false ways of life based on debt-systems (usury).
To be happy, the leader of the worldís 1.5 billion Catholics declared, it is necessary ìto follow a morally unexceptionable life, against any illusory alternative of success obtained via injustice and immorality.î
Echoing the constant call of the Hebrew prophets to side with the marginalized, he explained that for Christians, ìloyalty to the divine word consists of a fundamental option, which is active love towards the poor and needy: respecting the biblical call to be generous towards the poor and to those in need.î
The pontiff spoke of the corrosive impact of a culture of self-interest, highlighting ìthe usury that destroys the lives of the poor.î
The Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions all contain deep-rooted critiques of lending with interest, some of which have come to the fore through the recent Jubilee 2000 and Make Poverty Campaigns against the debt enslavement of the poorest nations.
Earlier this year Benedict XVI said that Christians are called to renounce power and wealth and should choose instead to serve others with Christ’s humility.
But critics inside and outside the church, while welcoming these words, have pointed to the apparent contradiction of this message coming from the head of one of the worldís richest and most powerful institutions.
Christians urged to reject usury and injustice
-02/11/05
In his weekly ëgeneral audience’ in front of 30,000 people at St Peter’s in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI has urged Christians to make a ‘fundamental option’ of generosity towards their neighbours, and to reject false ways of life based on debt-systems (usury).
To be happy, the leader of the world’s 1.5 billion Catholics declared, it is necessary ‘to follow a morally unexceptionable life, against any illusory alternative of success obtained via injustice and immorality.’
Echoing the constant call of the Hebrew prophets to side with the marginalized, he explained that for Christians, ‘loyalty to the divine word consists of a fundamental option, which is active love towards the poor and needy: respecting the biblical call to be generous towards the poor and to those in need.’
The pontiff spoke of the corrosive impact of a culture of self-interest, highlighting ‘the usury that destroys the lives of the poor.’
The Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions all contain deep-rooted critiques of lending with interest, some of which have come to the fore through the recent Jubilee 2000 and Make Poverty Campaigns against the debt enslavement of the poorest nations.
Earlier this year Benedict XVI said that Christians are called to renounce power and wealth and should choose instead to serve others with Christ’s humility.
But critics inside and outside the church, while welcoming these words, have pointed to the apparent contradiction of this message coming from the head of one of the world’s richest and most powerful institutions.