B16 v. Bain Capital

“The world of finance, while necessary, no longer represents an instrument that favours our wellbeing or the life of mankind, instead it has become an oppressive power, that almost demands our adoration, mammon, the false divinity that truly dominates the world.”

Those were the words of Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday when he visited the major seminary of the diocese of Rome. He could become a commentator on MSNBC with thoughts like that, although the sentiment he expressed might be a little too anti-capitalist for all but the "Ed Show." That said, I would not expect the Holy Father to show up at an Occupy Wall Street rally anytime soon. Not his style.

I do not suppose the Pope had Bain Capital in mind when he spoke those words. More likely, he was thinking of the negotiations between Greece and its financial creditors. But, it should be clear, even to our friends at the Acton Institute, that unbridled capitalism is held in the lowest regard by Pope Benedict and that he sees such unbridled capitalism not only as bad economics, but as one of the acids of modernity eating away at the faith.