Pope Francis is promoting “pure Marxism,” conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh says, referring to the pope’s recent analysis of capitalism.
Among the pope’s thoughts were economics.
Trickle down policies don’t work and they reflect a “naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power,” the pope wrote.
“In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” he said.
“This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system.”
Limbaugh took offense at the pope’s comments.
“I=t totally befuddled me,” Limbaugh said, referring to the comments. “If it weren’t for capitalism, I don’t know where the Catholic Church would be. Now, as I mentioned before, I’m not Catholic. I admire it profoundly, and I’ve been tempted a number of times to delve deeper into it. But the pope here has now gone beyond Catholicism here, and this is pure political. Now, I want to share with you some of this stuff.
“Pope Francis attacked unfettered capitalism as ‘a new tyranny.’ He beseeched global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality, in a document on Tuesday setting out a platform for his papacy and calling for a renewal of the Catholic Church. In it, Pope Francis went further than previous comments criticizing the global economic system, attacking the ‘idolatry of money.’ ”
I’ve gotta be very careful, I have been numerous times to the Vatican. It wouldn’t exist without tons of money. But, regardless, what this is -- somebody has either written this for him or gotten to him. This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope. There’s no such -- ‘unfettered capitalism?’ That doesn’t exist anywhere.”
