<\/p>\n
Karl Marx Meets Catholic Social Teaching<\/span><\/h1>\n <\/p>\n
by CAPP-USA<\/span><\/h5>\n <\/p>\n
Who is Karl Marx?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Karl Marx was more than a philosopher - he was a revolutionary. His lofty goal was to set the common man free from the oppression and suffering caused by a harsh, capitalist system.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBasically, \u201c[t]he Marxist program...sees in class struggle the only way to eliminate class injustices in society and to eliminate the classes themselves.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHis writings\u00a0include the Communist Manifesto <\/em>(1848) and Das Kapital<\/em>\u00a0(1867) and form the basis for Socialism and Communism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"Karl](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/karl-marx.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Karl Marx meets Catholic social teaching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What is Marxism?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Marxist\u00a0socialism was a response to the great disparity in wealth and suffering caused by the abuses of capitalism in the 19th Century. It positions socialism as the\u00a0transition\u00a0between capitalism and communism<\/strong> - wherein \u2018all would own all for the benefit of all \u2013 equally\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\nUnder this philosophy, the state owns and regulates the means of production<\/strong> and distribution of goods. People then share equally in the outputs of the system, according to their need.<\/span><\/p>\nRead more about the Church's consistent opposition here<\/a><\/p>\nMarxism and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
The Church agrees this is an appealing goal<\/strong>!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSocialism inclines toward and in a certain measure approaches the truths which Christian tradition has always held sacred\u201d. (Quadragesimo Anno, 113)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nSo much so that Marx\u2019s ideas \u201cwill no longer differ from the desires and demands of those who are striving to remold human society on the basis of Christian principles\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 114)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDespite these similarities of goals, their differences lie fundamentally in \u201ctheir respective visions of man\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> Karl Marx's greatest error was anthropological!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWith great precision, Marx described the situation of his time, and with great analytical skill he spelled out the paths leading to revolution.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 20)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHe showed precisely how to overthrow the existing order, but he did not say how matters should proceed thereafter. He simply presumed...the new Jerusalem would be realized.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[H]is error lay deeper. He forgot that man always remains man. He forgot man and he forgot man's freedom<\/strong>. He forgot that freedom always remains also freedom for evil. He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThis was [Pope John Paul II] message: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nMarx and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Even before the horrible, inhuman experiences of the U.S.S.R., Cuba, North Korea and China, Catholic social teaching rejected socialism on principles.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn 1891, Pope Leo XIII already called Marx's proposals<\/span>\u00a0\u201cemphatically unjust\u201d because it \u201cwould rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community.\u201d (Rerum Novarum, 4)<\/a><\/p>\nAs to the Catholic Church herself, Marx wrote, \u201cThe Church has had 1,800 years to show that it could change the world and has not done anything; we will now do it on our own\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic social teaching responds: \u201cIt is impossible to construct [the world] in a mechanical way, as Karl Marx proposed...If there is no moral force in souls, if there is no readiness to suffer for these values, a better world is not built\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhy Marxism Can't Mix with Christianity<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Pope Pius XI \u201cmade it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism\u201d. (Pope St. John XXIII, 34)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAccording to Christian teaching, man, endowed with a social nature, is placed on this earth so that by leading a life in society and under an authority ordained of God he may fully cultivate and develop all his faculties unto the praise and glory of his Creator<\/strong>\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a> Marx opposed belief in God and argued the question itself was incoherent and pointless.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSocialism\u2026wholly ignoring and indifferent to this sublime end of both man and society, affirms that human association has been instituted for the sake of material advantage alone.\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe \u201cmeans\u201d of Marxism <\/strong>\u201ccannot be reconciled<\/strong> with the teachings of the Catholic Church<\/strong> because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 117)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cTherefore the Christian...cannot without contradicting himself adhere to ideological systems which radically or substantially go against his faith and his concept of man. He cannot adhere to the Marxist ideology, to its atheistic materialism, to its dialectic of violence and to the way it absorbs individual freedom in the collectivity, at the same time denying all transcendence to man\u201d<\/span>. (Pope St. Paul VI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\nMarxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible<\/strong> to understand man on the basis of economics alone<\/strong>\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nMarxism vs Christianity\/Charity vs. Justice<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\u201cSince the nineteenth century, an objection has been raised to the Church's charitable activity...by Marxism: the poor, it is claimed, do not need charity but justice<\/strong>. Works of charity\u2014almsgiving\u2014are in effect a way for the rich to shirk their obligation to work for justice and a means of soothing their consciences, while preserving their own status\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhile \u201c[i]t is true that the pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State\u201d, (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a>, \u201cLove\u2014caritas\u2014will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 28)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nAs Pope St. John Paul II said, \u201cToday, when many countries have seen the fall of ideologies which bound politics to a totalitarian conception of the world \u2014 Marxism being the foremost of these \u2014 there is no less grave a danger that the fundamental rights of the human person will be denied and that the religious yearnings which arise in the heart of every human being will be absorbed once again into politics.\u201d (Veritatis Splendor, 101)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nMarxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible to understand man on the basis of economics alone\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Basis of a \u2018Christian Economic System\u2019<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Only being \u201copen to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life \u2014 structures, institutions, culture and ethos\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 78)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOnly in charity, illuminated by the light of reason and faith<\/strong>, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 9)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe economic sphere\u2026must be structured and governed in an ethical manner.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 36)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt would appear that at the national and international level the free market is the most efficient way for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 32, 34)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nA foundational guide is that \u201cmoney must serve, not rule\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOnce capital becomes an idol\u2026once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys human fraternity, it sets people against one another\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWe should always remember, \u201cThe creation of...wealth must always be at the\u00a0service of the common good, and\u00a0not\u00a0only for the benefit of a\u00a0few.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[I]n a seemingly paradoxical way, free and disinterested solidarity is the key<\/strong> to the smooth functioning of the global economy.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nBOTTOM LINE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\u201c[T]he various grave economic and political challenges facing today\u2019s world require a courageous change of attitude that will restore to the end (the human person) and to the means (economics and politics) their proper place.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nClick the links below to learn how Catholic social teaching guides economics.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Democratic Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCapitalism vs. Socialism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWas Jesus a Socialist?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSocialist Countries and Welfare States<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching: Antidote to Extremism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Often Misunderstood Right to Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Leo XIII Quotes on Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAffordable Housing<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Rise of Shoplifting<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tLearn More About Private Property Rights<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore About Socialism<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Dignity of Work<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
<\/p>\n
Who is Karl Marx?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Karl Marx was more than a philosopher - he was a revolutionary. His lofty goal was to set the common man free from the oppression and suffering caused by a harsh, capitalist system.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBasically, \u201c[t]he Marxist program...sees in class struggle the only way to eliminate class injustices in society and to eliminate the classes themselves.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nHis writings\u00a0include the Communist Manifesto <\/em>(1848) and Das Kapital<\/em>\u00a0(1867) and form the basis for Socialism and Communism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n
Karl Marx meets Catholic social teaching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What is Marxism?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Marxist\u00a0socialism was a response to the great disparity in wealth and suffering caused by the abuses of capitalism in the 19th Century. It positions socialism as the\u00a0transition\u00a0between capitalism and communism<\/strong> - wherein \u2018all would own all for the benefit of all \u2013 equally\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\nUnder this philosophy, the state owns and regulates the means of production<\/strong> and distribution of goods. People then share equally in the outputs of the system, according to their need.<\/span><\/p>\nRead more about the Church's consistent opposition here<\/a><\/p>\nMarxism and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
The Church agrees this is an appealing goal<\/strong>!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSocialism inclines toward and in a certain measure approaches the truths which Christian tradition has always held sacred\u201d. (Quadragesimo Anno, 113)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nSo much so that Marx\u2019s ideas \u201cwill no longer differ from the desires and demands of those who are striving to remold human society on the basis of Christian principles\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 114)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nDespite these similarities of goals, their differences lie fundamentally in \u201ctheir respective visions of man\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> Karl Marx's greatest error was anthropological!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWith great precision, Marx described the situation of his time, and with great analytical skill he spelled out the paths leading to revolution.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 20)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHe showed precisely how to overthrow the existing order, but he did not say how matters should proceed thereafter. He simply presumed...the new Jerusalem would be realized.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[H]is error lay deeper. He forgot that man always remains man. He forgot man and he forgot man's freedom<\/strong>. He forgot that freedom always remains also freedom for evil. He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThis was [Pope John Paul II] message: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nMarx and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Even before the horrible, inhuman experiences of the U.S.S.R., Cuba, North Korea and China, Catholic social teaching rejected socialism on principles.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nIn 1891, Pope Leo XIII already called Marx's proposals<\/span>\u00a0\u201cemphatically unjust\u201d because it \u201cwould rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community.\u201d (Rerum Novarum, 4)<\/a><\/p>\nAs to the Catholic Church herself, Marx wrote, \u201cThe Church has had 1,800 years to show that it could change the world and has not done anything; we will now do it on our own\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic social teaching responds: \u201cIt is impossible to construct [the world] in a mechanical way, as Karl Marx proposed...If there is no moral force in souls, if there is no readiness to suffer for these values, a better world is not built\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhy Marxism Can't Mix with Christianity<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Pope Pius XI \u201cmade it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism\u201d. (Pope St. John XXIII, 34)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cAccording to Christian teaching, man, endowed with a social nature, is placed on this earth so that by leading a life in society and under an authority ordained of God he may fully cultivate and develop all his faculties unto the praise and glory of his Creator<\/strong>\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a> Marx opposed belief in God and argued the question itself was incoherent and pointless.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cSocialism\u2026wholly ignoring and indifferent to this sublime end of both man and society, affirms that human association has been instituted for the sake of material advantage alone.\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe \u201cmeans\u201d of Marxism <\/strong>\u201ccannot be reconciled<\/strong> with the teachings of the Catholic Church<\/strong> because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 117)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cTherefore the Christian...cannot without contradicting himself adhere to ideological systems which radically or substantially go against his faith and his concept of man. He cannot adhere to the Marxist ideology, to its atheistic materialism, to its dialectic of violence and to the way it absorbs individual freedom in the collectivity, at the same time denying all transcendence to man\u201d<\/span>. (Pope St. Paul VI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\nMarxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible<\/strong> to understand man on the basis of economics alone<\/strong>\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nMarxism vs Christianity\/Charity vs. Justice<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\u201cSince the nineteenth century, an objection has been raised to the Church's charitable activity...by Marxism: the poor, it is claimed, do not need charity but justice<\/strong>. Works of charity\u2014almsgiving\u2014are in effect a way for the rich to shirk their obligation to work for justice and a means of soothing their consciences, while preserving their own status\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhile \u201c[i]t is true that the pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State\u201d, (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a>, \u201cLove\u2014caritas\u2014will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 28)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nAs Pope St. John Paul II said, \u201cToday, when many countries have seen the fall of ideologies which bound politics to a totalitarian conception of the world \u2014 Marxism being the foremost of these \u2014 there is no less grave a danger that the fundamental rights of the human person will be denied and that the religious yearnings which arise in the heart of every human being will be absorbed once again into politics.\u201d (Veritatis Splendor, 101)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nMarxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible to understand man on the basis of economics alone\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Basis of a \u2018Christian Economic System\u2019<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Only being \u201copen to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life \u2014 structures, institutions, culture and ethos\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 78)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOnly in charity, illuminated by the light of reason and faith<\/strong>, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 9)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe economic sphere\u2026must be structured and governed in an ethical manner.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 36)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt would appear that at the national and international level the free market is the most efficient way for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 32, 34)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\nA foundational guide is that \u201cmoney must serve, not rule\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201cOnce capital becomes an idol\u2026once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys human fraternity, it sets people against one another\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWe should always remember, \u201cThe creation of...wealth must always be at the\u00a0service of the common good, and\u00a0not\u00a0only for the benefit of a\u00a0few.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\u201c[I]n a seemingly paradoxical way, free and disinterested solidarity is the key<\/strong> to the smooth functioning of the global economy.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nBOTTOM LINE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\u201c[T]he various grave economic and political challenges facing today\u2019s world require a courageous change of attitude that will restore to the end (the human person) and to the means (economics and politics) their proper place.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nClick the links below to learn how Catholic social teaching guides economics.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWhat is Democratic Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCapitalism vs. Socialism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nWas Jesus a Socialist?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nSocialist Countries and Welfare States<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nCatholic Social Teaching: Antidote to Extremism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nThe Often Misunderstood Right to Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nTop 10 Pope Leo XIII Quotes on Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nAffordable Housing<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Rise of Shoplifting<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tLearn More About Private Property Rights<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMore About Socialism<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Dignity of Work<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
Karl Marx was more than a philosopher - he was a revolutionary. His lofty goal was to set the common man free from the oppression and suffering caused by a harsh, capitalist system.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Basically, \u201c[t]he Marxist program...sees in class struggle the only way to eliminate class injustices in society and to eliminate the classes themselves.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 11)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n His writings\u00a0include the Communist Manifesto <\/em>(1848) and Das Kapital<\/em>\u00a0(1867) and form the basis for Socialism and Communism.<\/span><\/p>\n Karl Marx meets Catholic social teaching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Under this philosophy, the state owns and regulates the means of production<\/strong> and distribution of goods. People then share equally in the outputs of the system, according to their need.<\/span><\/p>\n Read more about the Church's consistent opposition here<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSocialism inclines toward and in a certain measure approaches the truths which Christian tradition has always held sacred\u201d. (Quadragesimo Anno, 113)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n So much so that Marx\u2019s ideas \u201cwill no longer differ from the desires and demands of those who are striving to remold human society on the basis of Christian principles\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 114)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Despite these similarities of goals, their differences lie fundamentally in \u201ctheir respective visions of man\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a> Karl Marx's greatest error was anthropological!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWith great precision, Marx described the situation of his time, and with great analytical skill he spelled out the paths leading to revolution.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 20)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe showed precisely how to overthrow the existing order, but he did not say how matters should proceed thereafter. He simply presumed...the new Jerusalem would be realized.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[H]is error lay deeper. He forgot that man always remains man. He forgot man and he forgot man's freedom<\/strong>. He forgot that freedom always remains also freedom for evil. He thought that once the economy had been put right, everything would automatically be put right.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 21)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis was [Pope John Paul II] message: man is the way of the Church, and Christ is the way of man.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n In 1891, Pope Leo XIII already called Marx's proposals<\/span>\u00a0\u201cemphatically unjust\u201d because it \u201cwould rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community.\u201d (Rerum Novarum, 4)<\/a><\/p>\n As to the Catholic Church herself, Marx wrote, \u201cThe Church has had 1,800 years to show that it could change the world and has not done anything; we will now do it on our own\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic social teaching responds: \u201cIt is impossible to construct [the world] in a mechanical way, as Karl Marx proposed...If there is no moral force in souls, if there is no readiness to suffer for these values, a better world is not built\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAccording to Christian teaching, man, endowed with a social nature, is placed on this earth so that by leading a life in society and under an authority ordained of God he may fully cultivate and develop all his faculties unto the praise and glory of his Creator<\/strong>\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a> Marx opposed belief in God and argued the question itself was incoherent and pointless.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSocialism\u2026wholly ignoring and indifferent to this sublime end of both man and society, affirms that human association has been instituted for the sake of material advantage alone.\u201d (Pope Pius XI, 118)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cmeans\u201d of Marxism <\/strong>\u201ccannot be reconciled<\/strong> with the teachings of the Catholic Church<\/strong> because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth\u201d. (Pope Pius XI, 117)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTherefore the Christian...cannot without contradicting himself adhere to ideological systems which radically or substantially go against his faith and his concept of man. He cannot adhere to the Marxist ideology, to its atheistic materialism, to its dialectic of violence and to the way it absorbs individual freedom in the collectivity, at the same time denying all transcendence to man\u201d<\/span>. (Pope St. Paul VI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n Marxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible<\/strong> to understand man on the basis of economics alone<\/strong>\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n While \u201c[i]t is true that the pursuit of justice must be a fundamental norm of the State\u201d, (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a>, \u201cLove\u2014caritas\u2014will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 28)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n As Pope St. John Paul II said, \u201cToday, when many countries have seen the fall of ideologies which bound politics to a totalitarian conception of the world \u2014 Marxism being the foremost of these \u2014 there is no less grave a danger that the fundamental rights of the human person will be denied and that the religious yearnings which arise in the heart of every human being will be absorbed once again into politics.\u201d (Veritatis Splendor, 101)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Marxism will never work because \u201cIt is not possible to understand man on the basis of economics alone\u201d. (Pope St. John Paul II, 24)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOnly in charity, illuminated by the light of reason and faith<\/strong>, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 9)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe economic sphere\u2026must be structured and governed in an ethical manner.\u201d (Pope Benedict XVI, 36)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt would appear that at the national and international level the free market is the most efficient way for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs.\u201d (Pope St. John Paul II, 32, 34)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n A foundational guide is that \u201cmoney must serve, not rule\u201d. (Pope Francis)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOnce capital becomes an idol\u2026once greed for money presides over the entire socioeconomic system, it ruins society, it condemns and enslaves men and women, it destroys human fraternity, it sets people against one another\u201d. (Pope Francis, 1)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n We should always remember, \u201cThe creation of...wealth must always be at the\u00a0service of the common good, and\u00a0not\u00a0only for the benefit of a\u00a0few.\u201d (Pope Francis, 3)<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[I]n a seemingly paradoxical way, free and disinterested solidarity is the key<\/strong> to the smooth functioning of the global economy.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[T]he various grave economic and political challenges facing today\u2019s world require a courageous change of attitude that will restore to the end (the human person) and to the means (economics and politics) their proper place.\u201d (Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Click the links below to learn how Catholic social teaching guides economics.<\/span><\/p>\n What is Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n What is Democratic Socialism?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Capitalism vs. Socialism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Was Jesus a Socialist?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Socialist Countries and Welfare States<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Catholic Social Teaching: Antidote to Extremism<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The Often Misunderstood Right to Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Top 10 Pope Leo XIII Quotes on Private Property<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Affordable Housing<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Rise of Shoplifting<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/p>\nWhat is Marxism?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Marxist\u00a0socialism was a response to the great disparity in wealth and suffering caused by the abuses of capitalism in the 19th Century. It positions socialism as the\u00a0transition\u00a0between capitalism and communism<\/strong> - wherein \u2018all would own all for the benefit of all \u2013 equally\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\nMarxism and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
The Church agrees this is an appealing goal<\/strong>!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nMarx and the Catholic Church<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Even before the horrible, inhuman experiences of the U.S.S.R., Cuba, North Korea and China, Catholic social teaching rejected socialism on principles.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWhy Marxism Can't Mix with Christianity<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Pope Pius XI \u201cmade it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism\u201d. (Pope St. John XXIII, 34)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
Marxism vs Christianity\/Charity vs. Justice<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
\u201cSince the nineteenth century, an objection has been raised to the Church's charitable activity...by Marxism: the poor, it is claimed, do not need charity but justice<\/strong>. Works of charity\u2014almsgiving\u2014are in effect a way for the rich to shirk their obligation to work for justice and a means of soothing their consciences, while preserving their own status\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 26)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nThe Basis of a \u2018Christian Economic System\u2019<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
Only being \u201copen to the Absolute can guide us in the promotion and building of forms of social and civic life \u2014 structures, institutions, culture and ethos\u201d. (Pope Benedict XVI, 78)<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBOTTOM LINE<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Three](\"https:\/\/capp-usa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Three-Principles.png\")
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