Pope Francis on Budget & Economy

Pope is anti-capitalist, favors collectivist global rebirth

"We are more alone than ever in an increasingly massified world that promotes individual interests and weakens the communitarian dimension of life. Indeed, there are markets where individuals become mere consumers or bystanders," he wrote.

Trickle-down theories are structurally perverse economics

Here are some of the major issues on which Pope Francis differs from most Republican politicians:
• He talks about income inequality more than even the Democratic presidential candidates. Francis spent decades pastoring in the slums. "Inequality is the root of social evil," Francis says. He decries "trickle-down theories" as a "structurally perverse economic system." Visiting Bolivia this summer, the Pope called the unfettered pursuit of money "the dung of the devil." He says the problems of the poor should be "radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation."
• A devotee of social justice, this Pope has repeatedly urged more public assistance for the poor.