Philip Pullella And Sarah Marsh — Pope calls for new economic order, criticizes capitalism

Pope Francis on Thursday urged the downtrodden to change the world economic order, denouncing a "new colonialism" by agencies that impose austerity programs and calling for the poor to have the "sacred rights" of labor, lodging and land. 

In one of the longest, most passionate and sweeping speeches of his pontificate, the Argentine-born pope also asked forgiveness for the sins committed by the Roman Catholic Church in its treatment of native Americans during what he called the "so-called conquest of America." 

Quoting a fourth century bishop, he called the unfettered pursuit of money "the dung of the devil," and said poor countries should not be reduced to being providers of raw material and cheap labor for developed countries. 

Repeating some of the themes of his landmark encyclical "Laudato Si" on the environment last month, Francis said time was running out to save the planet from perhaps irreversible harm to the ecosystem.… 

Francis doubles down.

"This system is by now intolerable: farm workers find it intolerable, laborers find it intolerable, communities find it intolerable, peoples find it intolerable … The earth itself – our sister, Mother Earth, as Saint Francis would say – also finds it intolerable," he said in an hour-long speech

Referring to "Mother Earth" is especially significant in Latin America where indigenous Andean peoples have traditionally worshipped Panchamama. This, along with apologizing for previous since of the Church against indigenous peoples will go a long way to making Francis the Latin American pope.

Reuters
Pope calls for new economic order, criticizes capitalism
Philip Pullella And Sarah Marsh

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The Pope of the Poor: Bolivian President Praises Pope Francis

“I humbly ask for forgiveness, in the name of the Church, for the crimes committed during the conquest era (Spanish colonization)...not only for the offenses made by the Church itself, but for the crimes against the indigenous people during the colonization of America,” said the Pope in his second day visiting the Andean nation.…

Francis criticized the capitalist system and the neoliberal “trickle-down” ideology, which he described as contrary to Jesus' teachings. “Its not enough to let some trickle down, when the poor shake that cup that never trickles down over by itself,” said the Pope, referring to the predominant neoliberal axiom. The leader of the Catholic Church urged the social movements to continue working with their communities in the benefit of the common good.

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The pope is lending huge moral assistance to Bolivarismo. Between BRICS and this activist pope, seizing on liberation theology, the tide may be turning.

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The summit also progressed the New Development Bank and condemned unilateral military interventions.

Update: BRICS Announces New University for the South