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Fall 2019

ISSN 0890-913X

Volume 34, Number 3

Pope Francis on Poverty and Economic Inequality: Good Intentions, Unfortunate Ideas

Antonio Saravia, Mercer University

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TheJournalofPrivateEnterprise34(3),2019,59–88PopeFrancisonPovertyandEconomicInequality:GoodIntentions,UnfortunateIdeasAntonioSaraviaMercerUniversity_____________________________________________________AbstractIanalyzePopeFrancis’seconomicdiscourseasexpressedindocumentsandspeecheshewroteduringthefirsttwoyearsofhispontificate.Thegoalistounveiltheeconomicprinciplesembeddedinthepope’seconomicdiscourseandassessthemagainsteconomictheoryandtheempiricalevidence.Ifocusonthepope’sanalysisofpovertyandeconomicinequality.Myfindingssuggestthattheeconomicprinciplesembeddedinthepope’seconomicdiscoursedivergefromeconomictheoryandarenotsupportedbytherelevantempiricalevidence.Thus,thepope’srecommendationstohelpthepooraremisguidedandareboundtocauseunintendedconsequences._____________________________________________________JELCodes:P1,Z12Keywords:PopeFrancis,poverty,inequality,economicfreedom,capitalismI.IntroductionTheelectionofJorgeBergoglioasthe266thPopeoftheRomanCatholicChurchin2013broughtanimportantshiftinemphasisinthechurch’smessage.Bergoglio’schoiceofpapalname,Francis,wasanearlyindicationofthenewpriorities.SaintFrancisofAssisiwasafriarwhomadeofpovertytheessenceofhislifestyleandpreaching.PopeFrancismadethisobjectiveclearthedayafterhiselectionwhenheannouncedtothemediathathewanted“achurchwhichispoorandforthepoor!”(Francis2013a).Hehaspursuedthisquestwithenthusiasmeversince.Indeed,sincehiselection,PopeFrancishasformulatednumerousspecificandcourageousanalysesonthenatureofpovertyanditspotentialsolutions.Unfortunately,forallthegoodintentionsthattheseanalysesconvey,mostarebasedonquestionableeconomicprinciplesandarenotconsistentwiththeempiricalevidence.Thepope’seconomicdiscourseaimsatempoweringthepoorandmarginalizedusingpoliciesthathavebeenrepeatedlyproventocause

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Title	Pope Francis on Poverty and Economic Inequality: Good Intentions, Unfortunate Ideas
Authors/Creators:	Antonio Saravia, Mercer University
Year:	2019
Volume:	34
Number:	3
Pages:	59 - 88
Publisher:	The Association of Private Enterprise Education
ISSN:	0890-913X
Document Type:	Articles
Keywords:	Pope Francis, poverty, inequality, economic freedom, capitalism

Citation:
Saravia, Antonio / 2019. "Pope Francis on Poverty and Economic Inequality: Good Intentions, Unfortunate Ideas." The Journal of Private Enterprise, 34(3): 59-88.