The president of the Vatican bank has said that more than a renewal of capitalism led by economic experts and industrialists, what the global economy needs most are good priests to renew man.
Reviewing a book called “The Disease of the West” by Italian economist Marco Panara in today’s L’Osservatore Romano, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi says that the “real disease” of the West is “the nihilism that has uprooted man from any absolute truth and led him to become a materialist, pursuing a satisfaction that is ever more materialistic.”
“The disease of Western man,” adds Gotti Tedeschi, “is his distance from God and the tendency to drown his anxieties in consumerism.”
Although he mostly praises the book, he differs with Panara’s conclusion that capitalism needs to be renewed. “The instruments described in [Panara’s] book - technology, finance, outsourcing - are all good but do not work if they are misused,” says Gotti Tedeschi. “And that happens when you forget that they are tools in the hands of man, who must not only know how to use them, but must be able to give them a meaning, a purpose.”
He warns of a political crash if this isn’t heeded, one that could even “put democracy at risk”. To avoid falling into that trap he says it is not enough to renew capitalism, as Panara claims. “Instead, you must renew man, as proposed by Pope Benedict XVI in Caritas in Veritate. And to do that, it takes good priests more than good economists or good industrialists.”
The Italian president of the Vatican bank makes several other interesting points in his review –- headlined “The damage of only materialistic growth, the West and the loss of work”—which aren’t often seen in the secular press.
He points out that in a world that renounces natural growth (falling birthrates and therefore real growth of GDP), the only way forward is to consume more and try to increase buying power, “which instead decreases as taxes grow in order to pay the costs of an ageing population.”
“To increase purchasing power one can seek to increase productivity,” Gotti Tedeschi explains, “but it is easier to reduce prices of goods, producing them where labor is cheaper - that is, outsourcing production to countries with low costs and re-importing the goods at prices much lower than those produced at home.”
But Gotti Tedeschi points out the strange trend this has caused: producing countries that “are not consuming” and consuming countries (those in the West) “that are not producing.” Jobs are being lost, he points out, particularly in manual labor, as there is an ever increasing push towards efficiency (greater use of technology, privatization, liberalization of markets) in the West to compete with low-cost production in the East.
But he welcomes Panara’s reminder of the other economic mistakes of the past 50 years – the errors of “statism, protectionism, welfarism, and then from consumerism, until the excesses of consumerism, to unsustainable debt.”
He adds that strategies to compensate for the current economic crisis and loss of labor “haven’t been pursued by the West,” perhaps because it’s happened so fast, but also – in Gotti Tedeschi’s view – because of a need to rediscover meaning and purpose in the economy.
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I thank God for His Church. This book offers just one more reason for it. I like capitalism but like anything else it can be used for good or evil. Without God’s Church we would not have a clear way of understanding the difference.
To have good priests requires strong fathers leading their families to God. It requires both Catholic schools for youth and then seminaries that teach balanced men teaching both to think using logic; rhetoric; and philosophy and theology based on truth. All Catholic children should be able to receive this truly Catholic education for free. In time, in this way the Church strengthens the family’s understanding of a God who loves them above all else and in whom they can trust above all else. I just checked my code to send this message. It is “father”. Interesting.
Our Blessed Mother has said that good priests will be Her chief weapon in Her victory over Satan.
What are needed are bishops and priest who were out in the real world who started up businesses, employed workers, and struggled to make payrolls all along with dealing with government regulations, regulators and paying taxes. Then they would be in a better position to speak about economics, employers and so-called “social justice.”
I find it interesting that American corporations who start up production in third world countries are criticized for doing so without explanations of why. Government regulations and unionization run up the cost to produce the product being made here for people who want it. So, they eventually decide to manufacture it elsewhere to keep the price down which in turn provides livelihoods for people who never had one, enabling them to have a better life, economically, in those third world countries. What is wrong with that?
What’s needed is for ALL of us to sit down and read the Bible, and structure the Church the way God intended it to be. Reading St. Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus, the PASTORAL Letters, gives us the ideal way our church is to be structured. Reading the REST of Paul’s letters gives us the ideal of how our homes are to be structured, in terms of ROLES we all play. That will lead us to health. We are paying a price, for ignoring God’s Word. The Vatican, from the top offices, on down, need to OBEY God’s Word.
@StillBelieve…My good friend, I have to admire your stalwartness in defense of these companies’ moves, but ya still keep overlooking somethings: hmmm, tax breaks for companies to take their businesses elsewhere, and I’m referring to AMERICAN TAX BREAKS allowing “American” companies more interested in taking advantage of low-wages, near sweatshop conditions, countries that don’t give a hoot n’ holler about safety regs, countries that would laugh at all the attention we gave shortly after the Triangle Shirt Fire that took place a century ago last week.
But at least you’re consistent, blaming our unions, which only affect roughly 7-10 pct of the private sector labor force. Yeah, they’ve really been able to put a dent in the engine of the socially Darwinist modus operandi of the outsourcing-privatization-driven private sector, ever protected by such paternal protection of the US Chamber of Commerce and motherly protectors such as SC’s new governess, Nikki Haley, who promised to “talk smack” to unions and well, she’s not only fulfilled that ... but also interfered with the rights of a machinists union to speak with Boeing before the company started to set up shop in the new N. Charleston plant it’s going to build. Let’s see, a union is a private enterprise (though it operates for the sake of its members whom in this case want to work for another private firm)and a “conservative” governess violates one of the very key precepts of political conservatism…didn’t that used to be keeping government from interfering with the private sector? Mrs. Haley will find out soon enough what the Federal Courts think of this rather sharp departure from conservative norms in order to show everybody in the Gamecock State and Mother of Secession that she indeed will keep her word to “talk smack” to labor. Even Wisconsin’s goofy-Scott-Koch Industries’-lapmutt-“guv” hasn’t stooped this low to turn his state into a more chilled out version of Right-to-Work Banana Republic Republicanism to the land of Cheeseheads.
So I get it, we have to have our standards of living lowered in order to raise even just by a pinch, the standards of living in some Third World nation where StillBelieve has no problems seeing jobs that many unemployed Americans could use NOW, be given to folks living far away ... and we’re paying for the privilege that StillBelieve going along with such intellectual giants such as Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and that illustrious exemplar of Catholic intellectualism, Newt Gingrich ( http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/18/gingrich-corp-taxes/ ), plus Tom Donohue (US Ch.Commerce),and this sham outfit “Americans for Job Securitythe producers of this outrageous ad seen in this link(http://politicalcorrection.org/blog/201005040002 )should be all too willing and pleased to see stay on our books. Granted, the sources I’m citing are decidedly left of center, but the quotes from former Mr. Speaker, speak for himself and those who buy into his ego-fed intellectual cult status.
Oh sure, let’s all roll back the federal/state regs on safety so we can all go back to the days prior to the awful fire in New York. Let’s all go back to the days when workers could be forced to work ten hour shifts with short in-between breaks of unpaid breaks, no paid sick time, no health benefits, NOTHING for the workers, save for Sundays, Christmas, Easter and maybe the Jewish High Holy Days in September. But is that what the Lord would want? Does this square with what Jesus taught in his parable about the Sheeps n’ Goats? “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brethren…” Hmmm? Would Jesus want to see jobs Americans could use to be able to take care of their families being sent overseas under the guise of “helping the poor” elsewhere raise their living standards when it in fact these moves are nothing but UNION-BUSTING PLOYS OR SCARING THE WORKERS OFF FROM EVEN THINKING ABOUT FORMING UNIONS FOR THEIR OWN BARE BONES ECONOMIC PROTECTIONS ON THE JOB HERE AT HOME? What would the Lord think about THAT?
I happen to like the idea of having more priets stationed in NY’s Financial District, especially if the GOP manages to kill off the new consumer agency headed by Elizabeth Warren and they let the Ayn Randian impulses of more Phil & Wendy Gramms, Robert Rubins, and future (though unrepentant)Alan Greenspans run like the Bulls of Pamploma all over again. BUT HAVEN’T WE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED ENOUGH OF WHAT THAT KIND OF BULL HATH WROUGHT? I do agree that a mushy approach towards “social justice” isn’t the right approach. On the other hand, I’d rather see a far more aggressive hand towards grabbing the stick and upturning the damn tables of unbridled commerce as our Lord showed on that day in the Temple. Maybe that’s what scares StillBelieve and his/her fellow believers more than anything. Good Lord, the Lord’s principles actually being applied in the stock markets and job markets?
for this Lenten season , I want to make the following recommendation for priest: their reflections on the biblical expositions on the following passages : On the priests consecration ( 1chronicle 23:13, Lev 10:7.21:6) on ceremonial rules ( to avoid defilement ) Lev 22:2-7, Ezekiel 44:25-27) ,the doctrinal documents of the church in reference to sacramental order : Pope Clement I , ” letter to the Corinthians ( c.96), general council of Trent ” Doctrine on the Sacrament of Order in 1563
Reflection on the role of metaphysics when delivering the message of salvation to the congregation , systematic theology, which the minds can grasp the eternal truths without errors. Pope Leo xIII, in (1879) encyclical letter on restoring philosophy ( Aeterni Patris) , Pope John Paul iii , on September 14,1998 on Faith and Reason. ( Fides et Ratio) . The wonderful resource from Saint Thomas Aquinas systematic theology ( Summa Theologia )
peace to all !
I want to be a priest and i dont know how to be one…am a nigerian..21years of age.
Great article, bad headline. Would like to “share” it w/ friends, but am afraid they wouldn’t bother to read it because of the headline.
With regard to this particular column, reading the Bible w/o reading the great encyclicals and other Church documents about economics and the need to look after our fellow brothers and sisters is akin to reading the Constitution w/o reading the Federalist Papers and Roosevelt’s New Deal Speeches and Fireside Radio Chats or Frances Perkins’ works with Msgr. John A. Ryan, “Right Reverend New Dealer” ( http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/entitlement-reform-common-good ). It’s utterly incredible to think that somebody with the soul of an accountant, a squeaky voiced tightwad like Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI who is more intent on DESTROYING SS AND MEDICARE (IN PARTICULAR) is getting any traction within some influential Catholic circles. Poor Paul Ryan, he’s like so many upper middle class to outright wealthy Catholics who have not only forgotten where the heck they’ve come from, but what it also took to make sure the middle class was a reality for most Americans and the dream of the world. Ah, but they suffer from selective economic and moral amnesia. Too bad the rest of us, especially those who’ll have to work till they probably drop before they can ever enjoy a day of retirement, will have to suffer because of Ryan’s Selective Economic Amnesia Disorder.
@Steven
Your union loving, under any condition, administration won’t even let Americans get the God given oil out of the ground under, and near, our own country resulting in our need to get it elsewhere placing our economic and physical security in the hands of others who want to kill us, and costing the poor, lower and middle class here to take money out of their food budgets to pay for $4 gasoline, soon to be $5, just to drive to the store to get their food which is also going up in price. Why are we in Libya? Why are we concerned with Egypt and Iran and Saudi Arabia? Oil! We have our own oil that will last us for hundreds of years but your buddies won’t let our oil rig workers go back to work and get it. They’ll let other countries’ workers get it but they won’t let ours have the work to provide for their families.
So don’t go scampering back a hundred years to tell me about how bad it was back then for the working people - it’s worse now under this Administration and Democrats control of Congress the past 4 years, and now just the Senate. We need Americans in Congress, not Democrats. We need representatives who will get our country moving again and control spending the taxes they extract from us. We need less taxes extracted from us and more oil extracted from the ground. The Dems and you want just the opposite and that is what the American worker has to put up with until we get another crack at getting real Americans in both houses of Congress and the White House.
Meanwhile, I see no problem helping those in impoverished countries being able to have work in our industries over there to make a better living for themselves producing goods that we want to buy here that will be a lower cost to us than if they were produced here with the government manufactured higher prices and taxes.
At least I’m being consistent, I want everyone able to be working here who wants to, as well as in poor countries, while at the same time being able to get what they want to have for themselves and their families at a reasonable price.
@Steven
“It’s utterly incredible to think that somebody with the soul of an accountant, a squeaky voiced tightwad like Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI who is more intent on DESTROYING SS AND MEDICARE (IN PARTICULAR) is getting any traction within some influential Catholic circles.”
Steven, it was President Johnson and the Democrat Congress that STOLE the money from Social Security to pay for his failed WAR ON POVERTY, turning SS into a ponzi scheme that is in danger now because of the Democrat Party’s support of murdering babies the last 38 years. Now, 51,000,000+ God created HUMAN BEINGS are not alive to keep the Democrat ponzi scheme going.
We need mature grown ups in Congress now that will tell the spoiled children that Democrats are they can’t have all the candy they want.
Tough love, baby - you guys brought it on yourselves with your faith based/leftist social justice scams that we all are paying the price for, now. The money is not there anymore to pay the credi card bills, especially with this Democrat caused economic depression.
Uh oh, you mean to tell me the Koch Brothers, Jack Welch, Helen Walton and their Washington DC shill Tom Donoghue won’t be playing the Easter Bunny this year? What’s this world coming to?
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