Mediaboss Marketing

LISTEN TO TLRS LATEST PODCAST:

Recently, Pope Francisreleased a statement to members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The statement, broadly, was about work in society, and how social bonds are incredibly important. At the end of it, however, the Pope levied a harsh attack at what he referred to as libertarian individualism. This, in turn, has been met with harsh criticism by both Reason and Breitbart. This is the latest in a string of statements that has led to one disheartening conclusion,the Pope has two ideologies. Catholicism and Socialism.

Below is the relevant portion of the statement:

Finally, I cannot but speak of the serious risks associated with the invasion, at high levels of culture and education in both universities and in schools, of positions of libertarian individualism. A common feature of this fallacious paradigm is that it minimizes the common good, that is, living well, a good life in the community framework, and exalts the selfish ideal that deceptively proposes a beautiful life. If individualism affirms that it is only the individual who gives value to things and interpersonal relationships, and so it is only the individual who decides what is good and what is bad, then libertarianism, today in fashion, preaches that to establish freedom and individual responsibility, it is necessary to resort to the idea of self-causation. Thus, libertarian individualism denies the validity of the common good because on the one hand it supposes that the very idea of common implies the constriction of at least some individuals, and the other that the notion of good deprives freedom of its essence.

The radicalization of individualism in libertarian and therefore anti-social terms leads to the conclusion that everyone has the right to expand as far as his power allows, even at the expense of the exclusion and marginalization of the most vulnerable majority. Bonds would have to be cut inasmuch as they would limit freedom. By mistakenly matching the concept of bond to that of constraint, one ends up confusing what may condition freedom the constraints with the essence of created freedom, that is, bonds or relations, family and interpersonal, with the excluded and marginalized, with the common good, and finally with God.

The Popes explanation of libertarianism is incredibly flawed. Libertarianism is none of these things, it is simply the belief that government coercion on personal actions should be as limited as possible. It is not a rejection of social bonds, or a denial of the common good. It is, to most, the opposite. Most libertarians believe wholeheartedly that by lifting the threat of force and letting people interact freely, we will have a more prosperous and more pro-social society.

Notice, however, that I said most.

This is where Pope Francis finds an element of truth. There is a very sizable minority of libertarians who are not pro-social. This minority does not care about the freedom and well-beingof all people. They are simply libertarians because they believe that they should be able to do what the Pope has described. They actually want to expand their power at the expense of the majority. These are Brutalists. This is, however, where thetruth of the Popes statement ends.

The Pope does not seem to understand libertarian philosophy, and this statement shows his ignorance. He has associated the simple desire for less coercion to good deeds, to be a rejection of doing good deeds. The Papacy has shown this ignorance before. This backward view that only coerced wealth redistribution can aid the poor has shown to be folly, time and time again. This mistake isnt simply ignorance however, it is, unfortunately, the Popes ideology.

Looking to the Popes past statements and actions, it is likely that he is allowing his politics to bias his moral teachings, and not just about libertarianism. Pope Francis has consistently handled socialist dictatorships like China andVenezuelawith kid gloves. He has instead saved his ire for free market capitalism. When the head of the Catholic Church is more kind towards dictators than those that espouse liberty, we have a serious problem.

To be frank, I am a Protestant. Despite this, I had high hopes for Pope Francis. I was encouraged by his apparent rejection of Papal decadence and a shift in focus to charity and aiding the poor. I was also heartened by his more socially tolerant statements.

This is why my disappointment is all the greater. The Pope has rejected freedom and proven methods of bettering society. He has instead chosen a failed ideology that has been used to oppress our Christian brothers and sisters all over the world.

That stings.

capitalismcatholiclibertarianismLibertyPopePope FrancisSocialism

More:
The Problem of the Pope and Socialism - The Libertarian Republic