On World Peace Day, January 1st, Pope Benedict stated that we need a new economic model. This model needs to be a "virtuous circle" based on simple living and fighting poverty. I do like that phrase of "virtuous circle." I'm assuming that it is supposed to be a play on "vicious circle," but I'm not sure if the official language for this kind of address is Latin or not. It is refreshing to see that on World Peace Day, Benedict addressed the issue of the economy rather than abortion. In his message, he also condemns the arms race, which is literally stealing resources from the world's poor. While he does not cite capitalism in particular, his section on finance is written against the unfair advantages that capitalism gives to the Western world. And simple living is definitely at odds with capitalism. Our president wants us to shop - that's how capitalism "works." Overall, a good message. I wish it was a bit more explicit, but it is obvious that our economy needs some Christianizing.A Faithful Catholic
