The Pope argued on Friday that the rich should “pay more taxes” so that the money can be distributed “among the poor and the middle class,” during a meeting organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the Vatican.
Under the motto ‘Confronting dehumanization’, and with the aim of reflecting on the path taken since a similar meeting held in 2014, the Pope said that “There should be more taxes on millionaires“.
Justifying his claim, he argued: “If this small percentage of billionaires who own most of the planet’s wealth were encouraged to share it, not as charity, but fraternally, how good it would be. And how fair it would be for everyone.”
During his speech, Francis also flatly rejected the current economic system: “Until the problems of the poor are solved, the problems of the world will not be solved.” In this regard, he emphasized: “The poor cannot wait.“.
He also criticised “the silence of indifference that allows the roar of hatred” and that – by remaining silent in the face of injustice – “opens the way to social division, social division to verbal violence, verbal violence to physical violence and physical violence to the war of all against all”.
He also said, critically, that “the struggle for more and more money is not a creative force, but a sick attitude and a road to perdition.”
In this regard, he also pointed out that “this irresponsible, immoral and irrational conduct is destroying creation and dividing peoples. Let us not fail to denounce it.” This is not communism; it is pure gospel. It’s not the Pope; it’s Jesus.”
Source: Observadora
