Hey Check This Out (Pope Francis)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-encyclical-idUSKBN26P0E1

    In his latest encyclical, titled "Fratelli Tutti," ("Brothers All") Pope Francis writes about human fraternity and the need for cooperation and equality. This is the latest in a sequence of moves by the Pope that have upset many Catholics, particularly conservative and traditionalist Catholics in the United States. Pope Francis has a history of criticizing President Donald Trump and his proposed border wall. In "Fratelli Tutti," Pope Francis takes his criticism a step forward, explicitly criticizing the failures of free-market capitalism to provide what it has promised. 

    The philosophies of capitalism and Catholicism, read at face value, have significant conflicts with each other. For example, Catholicism preaches selflessness, while neoliberal capitalism tells us that greed is a societal good. Nonetheless, The Catholic Church has maintained a neutral if slightly uneasy position on capitalism thus far. Pope Francis's latest encyclical could be the beginning of a fundamental change in that position.

    This would send political shockwaves around the world. Today, there are over 1.2 billion Catholics. The words of the Pope cannot be considered only through the lens of religion. Rather, it must be understood that The Catholic Church has always played a significant role in global politics.

    Catholics believe that the Pope is god's representative on earth. The doctrine of Papal Supremacy outlines that the Pope has unhindered and universal power of the policies of the Catholic Church. Therefore, his criticism of neoliberal capitalism is certain to have severe political consequences, especially in majority-Catholic countries. The plurality of Catholics (40%) are located in Latin America, a place where battles over capitalism continue to be fought. The Pope’s words are consequential enough to potentially shift balances of power in the region.

    As mentioned earlier, the words of Pope Francis have created a crisis for many American Catholics. Data shows that while Catholics in the United States are politically diverse, White Catholics in particular skew conservative in voting and political views. In a poll done by Pew Research in January 2018, over half of Republican Catholics held the opinion that Pope Francis is “too liberal.” One can only imagine that this percentage has only increased as of late, and will increase even more as a result of his “Fratelli Tutti” encyclical. It is unclear what will result from this disenchantment, but I believe that something has to give.

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