Pope Francis denounces usury
January 29, 2014
Pope Francis denounced usury as “a dramatic social ill” in his public remarks at the end of his general audience in January 29.
As he does each week, the Pope acknowledged several different groups in the crowd attending his audience. When he mentioned the National Council of Anti-Usury Foundations, the Pope added a clear condemnation of usury, saying that the practice “is not Christian; it is not human!”
Speaking passionately against people who prey on the poor by charging high interest rates for short-term loans, Pope Francis said: “This dramatic scourge in our society harms the inviolable dignity of the human person.”
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Posted by: John J Plick -
Feb. 06, 2014 7:58 PM ET USA
Jesus did not even unconditionally reject usury. One would speculate that the kind of "usury" that was condemned in the Bible was more of the "outrageous, extortionist" variety, not of the kind practiced ethically in the business world, for if all usury was evil, what of this Biblical passage: Matthew 25:27 "Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. " ?
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Posted by: ramonantonio3455448 -
Jan. 29, 2014 5:46 PM ET USA
Jesus never rejected usurers but usury. He even visited Zacchaeus and had dinner with him. What he ate and drank? Probably the fruits of his illegal and immoral trade. But there was a change of heart in Zaccheus. And that change of heart was by a personal visit by Jesus Himself. Pope Francis does the same.
