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Pope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isn't some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core "touchstone" of the Christian faith.

Some U.S. conservatives have branded the first Latin American pope a Marxist for his frequent critiques of consumerism and focus on a church "that is poor and for the poor." But in an interview contained in a new book, Francis explains that his message is rooted in the Gospel and has been echoed by church fathers since Christianity's first centuries.

"The Gospel does not condemn the wealthy, but the idolatry of wealth, the idolatry that makes people indifferent to the call of the poor," Francis says in "This Economy Kills," a study of the pope's economic and social teachings, excerpts of which were provided Sunday to The Associated Press.

Specifically, Francis summarized a verse from the Gospel of Matthew which is the essential mission statement of his papacy: "I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was in prison, I was sick, I was naked and you helped me, clothed me, visited me, took care of me."

"Caring for our neighbor, for those who are poor, who suffer in body and soul, for those who are in need: this is the touchstone. Is it pauperism? No. It is the Gospel."

He cites church fathers dating to St. Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom as expressing the same concerns, and noted somewhat wryly that if he had said the same "some would accuse me of giving a Marxist homily."

"As we can see, this concern for the poor is in the Gospel, it is within the tradition of the church, it is not an invention of communism and it must not be turned into some ideology, as has sometimes happened before in the course of history," an apparent reference to the Latin American-inspired liberation theology.

"This Economy Kills," by two seasoned Vatican reporters, comes out this week in Italian.

Excerpt from:
Pope Says Concern for Poor Is Gospel, Not Communism

Fighting for social justice and the rights of the poor has always been the mission of the Catholic Church, long before communism was invented, Pope Francis said in an interview.

The Argentine-born pontiff often preaches against unbridled capitalism and greed, and has said that he would like to lead "a poor church, for the poor." This has led right-wing commentators in the United States to label him a Marxist.

"If I were to repeat some passages of the homilies of the first Fathers of the Church, from the second or third century, on how the poor should be treated, someone would accuse me of delivering a Marxist homily," the Pope told Italy's La Stampa newspaper.

"As you can see, this care for the poor is in the Gospel, it is in the tradition of the Church, it not an invention of communism and it should not be ideologised, as it has happened sometimes over the course of history."

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The pope stressed the importance of ensuring a fairer distribution of economic resources, noting that globalisation "helped many persons to emerge from poverty, but condemned many others to die of hunger."

He once again criticised the world's economic system as being based on a "culture of waste," which puts money before human beings. He said children, old people, unemployed youth and aborted foetuses were the victims of such a culture.

The interview was an extract from an upcoming book on Pope Francis by two La Stampa journalists. It was published on the day the pontiff led a special mass in the Sistine Chapel to baptise 33 babies - the offspring of Vatican City State employees.

On Monday, the pope is due to leave for an eight-day trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, his seventh international trip since he was elected in March 2013, and his second to Asia, a self-declared priority of his papacy.

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Caring for poor is not communism: Pope

Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives for his weekly general audience at the Paul VI hall on January 7, 2015, at the ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isn't some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core "touchstone" of the Christian faith.

Some U.S. conservatives have branded the first Latin American pope a Marxist for his frequent critiques of consumerism and focus on a church "that is poor and for the poor." But in an interview contained in a new book, Francis explains that his message is rooted in the Gospel and has been echoed by church fathers since Christianity's first centuries.

"The Gospel does not condemn the wealthy, but the idolatry of wealth, the idolatry that makes people indifferent to the call of the poor," Francis says in "This Economy Kills," a study of the pope's economic and social teachings, excerpts of which were provided Sunday to The Associated Press.

Specifically, Francis summarized a verse from the Gospel of Matthew which is the essential mission statement of his papacy: "I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was in prison, I was sick, I was naked and you helped me, clothed me, visited me, took care of me."

"Caring for our neighbor, for those who are poor, who suffer in body and soul, for those who are in need: this is the touchstone. Is it pauperism? No. It is the Gospel."

He cites church fathers dating to St. Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom as expressing the same concerns, and noted somewhat wryly that if he had said the same "some would accuse me of giving a Marxist homily."

"As we can see, this concern for the poor is in the Gospel, it is within the tradition of the church, it is not an invention of communism and it must not be turned into some ideology, as has sometimes happened before in the course of history," an apparent reference to the Latin American-inspired liberation theology.

"This Economy Kills," by two seasoned Vatican reporters, comes out this week in Italian.

The pope has upset many in the Church with his relatively progressive views and attempts to change the way the Vatican hierarchy works.

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Pope defends himself against communism claims

Pope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isnt some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core touchstone of the Christian faith. AP FILE PHOTO

VATICAN CITYPope Francis is insisting that his concern for the poor and critique of the global economic system isnt some novel, communist-inspired ideology but rather the original and core touchstone of the Christian faith.

Some US conservatives have branded the first Latin American Pope a Marxist for his frequent critiques of consumerism and focus on a Church that is poor and for the poor.

But in an interview contained in a new book, Francis explains that his message is rooted in the Gospel and has been echoed by Church fathers since Christianitys first centuries.

The Gospel does not condemn the wealthy, but the idolatry of wealth, the idolatry that makes people indifferent to the call of the poor, Francis says in This Economy Kills, a study of the Popes economic and social teachings, excerpts of which were provided on Sunday to The Associated Press.

Specifically, Francis summarized a verse from the Gospel of Matthew that is the essential mission statement of his papacy: I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was in prison, I was sick, I was naked and you helped me, clothed me, visited me, took care of me.

Caring for our neighbor, for those who are poor, who suffer in body and soul, for those who are in need: this is the touchstone. Is it pauperism? No. It is the Gospel.

He cites Church fathers dating to St. Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom as expressing the same concerns, and noted somewhat wryly that if he had said the same some would accuse me of giving a Marxist homily.

As we can see, this concern for the poor is in the Gospel, it is within the tradition of the Church, it is not an invention of communism and it must not be turned into some ideology, as has sometimes happened before in the course of history, an apparent reference to the Latin American-inspired liberation theology.

This Economy Kills, by two seasoned Vatican reporters, comes out this week in Italian.

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Pope: Concern for the poor is Gospelnot communism

A Polish movie vying for Golden Globe glory has raised hopes of a revival in the country's grand cinematic traditions ? which include masters such as Roman Polanski, Andrzej Wajda and Krzysztof Kieslowski.

"Ida," a reflective movie about the legacy of the Holocaust in communist Poland, has unexpectedly been showered with international awards since its release in 2013. Polish-British director Pawel Pawlikowski's film is a nominee for best foreign language film in Sunday's Golden Globes and is widely expected to win a best foreign film nomination when Oscar candidates are announced next week.

The movie tells the story of a young woman, Ida, who discovers on the eve of becoming a Catholic nun that she is Jewish. She sets out on a journey into her family's past and that of Poles under Nazi Germany ? some saving, others killing Jews ? then into the repressions of communism, in which some Jews played a role. Critics say that one of the film's strengths is that it passes no judgment.

The deceptively simple story has resonated worldwide because the protagonists mature and discover their identity by facing the tragic truth of their past.

Shot in black-and-white with a static camera, "Ida" reflects the style of European art house cinema of the early 1960s, the period in which the story is set. In December, it won best European film, best director, best screenplay and best cinematography at the European Film Awards. It has also won best foreign language film awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and from the New York Film Critics Circle.

The success brings recognition to a resurgent Polish cinema that went through creative and financial crisis first under martial law in the 1980s, then during the first years of market economy in the 1990s. After the communist collapse, established directors lost their traditional theme of cryptically bashing the regime while finding themselves at a loss to respond artistically to the new Polish reality. The void was filled by Hollywood productions banned under communism.

"Poland's cinema is doing better," said film critic Barbara Hollender. "A new, very interesting generation has arrived. And we have a new system of financing movies which made a lot of difference."

Other promising Polish directors include Jan Komasa, who made "Suicide Room" about the teenage loneliness in the Internet age, and Malgorzata Szumowska, whose movies explore complex issues like abortion and homosexuality.

"Ida" was co-financed by the state-run Polish Film Institute, established in 2005 to provide technical support and funds for Polish movies that pass a rigorous script selection. In 2013 its budget was 170 million zlotys (euros 40 million; $48 million.) Other funds for "Ida" came from European Union, Danish and Polish sources.

Under communism all movies were fully state-funded. Masters like Wajda and Kieslowski camouflaged the anti-communist message of their movies to win censors' approval ? the chief condition for obtaining funding from the Ministry of Culture.

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Acclaimed Movie "Ida" Heralds Polish Cinema Renaissance