“It is our task not only to reflect on the present ills of our economy, but also to build consensus around human dignity and the common good, the bedrocks of Catholic social teaching, and to answer the Pope’s call to propose new and creative economic responses to human need, both locally and globally,” Archbishop Coakley wrote.
Catholic parishes and aid agencies, Archbishop Coakley says, are largely responding to the pope’s call to be “islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference” by aiding the poor and supporting essential workers.
Pope Francis has repeatedly decried income inequality, and said in a late 2020 video message that “Once the present health crisis has passed, the worst reaction would be to fall even more deeply into feverish consumerism and forms of selfish self-protection.”
Pope Francis considers employment to be the “biggest issue” in politics as it relates to reducing economic inequality, Archbishop Coakley said, and the bishops have emphasized the importance of creating jobs for those who are poor and marginalized, prioritizing organized labor and continued protection of workers’ rights.
Pope Francis has observed that we sometimes justify our indifference for the poor “by looking the other way and living our lives as if they simply do not exist.”
“Not only are our actions insufficient, but our sight as well, when we ignore the poor and do not allow their pleas to touch our hearts. Let us accept together the challenge of reemerging from this crisis with an economy that works for all of God’s children,” Archbishop Coakley urged.
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