He’s sending a mixed message. Christians are clearly called upon the be generous and charitable and care for one another. Clearly Christian’s are not taught to focus on gathering of material things in spite of each other.
He’s not correct in that there is no central message of Christianity that calls for us to pay more tax to a government to somehow level a playing field with redistribution of wealth.

Conservatism calls upon people to be less reliant on a government. It strives to develop the individual as self reliant. That can be economically, or otherwise. Conservatism calls upon people to be lawful.
It also stresses generosity through charity rather than through some form of taxation to a government.

Liberalism calls for less reliance on charity with an emphasis on paying taxation to a government that is supposed to work as a great charity designed to level a playing field at a level that they determine. Throw in the concept of reparation for slavery and you can see how it can get messy. Liberalism stresses more reliance on the government.

What the pope ignores is that many governments and especially ours, can ignore Christian or any form of religious teaching. The democrat party attempted to have the word “god” stricken from their platform language. The liberal mindset is purely godless with total reliance on the state.

Reliance on a godless government is not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

So the pope seems to send mixed signals. He should not send message to Christian’s that we need to be more reliant on a government and pay more tax to a government. Quite the opposite. Be prosperous but be generous - Not through government but through giving to those truly in need.

This post was edited on 5/18/24 at 6:43 am