A "just and fair"
economic system is urgent, Pope Francis told an audience of the
Council for Inclusive Capitalism on Monday.
Economics without ethics lead to a "throwaway culture" said
the pope, returning to a favourite theme.
"A just and reliable economic system is necessary and urgent,
one able to respond to the most radical challenges that humanity
and the planet are faced with," the pope told the members of the
organisation.
"Capitalism must become a more inclusive instrument for
integral human wellbeing".
For a real development, the pontiff said, "balancing the
books is not enough".
He said "a look at recent history, in particular at the 2008
financial crisis, shows us that a healthy economic system cannot
be based on short-term profits at the expense of development and
productive investments, sustainable and socially responsible in
the long term".
The pope has voiced similar calls in a number of encyclicals.
Inclusive capitalism is a term composed of two complementary
meanings: (1) poverty is a significant, systemic problem in
countries which have already embraced or are transitioning
towards capitalistic economies, and (2) companies and
non-governmental organizations can sell goods and services to
low-income people, which may lead to targeted poverty
alleviation strategies, including improving people's nutrition,
health care, education, employment and environment, but not
their political power.
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