By Bro. Jackie Muhammad
Article Reprint
Pope Francis recently concluded a tour of three South American countries: Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The pope delivered a scathing rebuke of capitalism, and referred to the poor as victims of racism and poverty. The Holy Father’s denunciation of the wealthy bankers is akin to Ezekiel’s condemnation of the Jewish moneylenders in the Old Testament for their practice of usury—that is, the excessive and abusive interest rates charged to the poor. The pope called for the redistribution of wealth and land for the poor. He also apologized to the Indigenous people of all three countries for the inhumanity of their enslavement by the Catholic Church, the loss of their dignity, and their marginalization in today’s society.