By Lavoisier Fernandes
Back in 2013, Pope Francis still new to the papacy startled the world with what many branded a “critique of capitalism.” But his words were less about ideology and more about conscience.
“How is it,” he asked, “that when an elderly homeless person dies from the cold, it barely makes the news, but when the stock market drops by two points, it’s front-page headlines everywhere?”
That question still stings. It forces us to confront an uncomfortable reality: we live in a world where numbers often take precedence over people. Where stock indices, profit margins, and performance metrics carry more moral weight than the dignity of the human person.
At work, we chase KPIs and quarterly reports. On television, success is measured in ratings. Online, it’s followers and likes. And in the markets, it’s how fast the graph ticks upward. None of these are inherently wrong, they help us measure efficiency and growth. The danger begins when these numbers become ends in themselves, and when human beings are reduced to data points, consumers, or “labor costs.”
This isn’t about blaming a few greedy individuals; it’s about acknowledging that the system itself has lost its soul.
Earlier this year, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese released a report describing what she called an “economy of genocide.” She detailed how powerful corporations from arms manufacturers to global banks, profit from human suffering. It’s not an isolated scandal. It’s the predictable outcome of an economy that rewards profit, even when it is born of destruction.
The story repeats itself across sectors: war, climate crisis, exploitation, and cheap labor. The common thread is the same, people suffer while others profit.
Wealth without morality
Long before Francis, Pope Leo XIII sounded the alarm in Rerum Novarum (1891), warning against an economy that enriches a few while reducing workers to cogs. More recently, Pope Francis and his predecessors, from John Paul II to Benedict XVI have built on that vision, calling for an economy that serves people, not the other way around.
Francis’ supposed “anti-capitalism” isn’t hostility to business; it’s a plea for moral clarity. Profit, as the Church teaches, is not evil. The social teachings of the Church note that profit can be a sign of good management but warns that a company can be profitable while violating human dignity, exploiting labor, or destroying creation.
As St John Paul II wrote, “Profit cannot be the fundamental criterion of economic life, nor the final goal of a civilization.”
When wealth becomes so concentrated that one man can soon be a trillionaire while millions sleep hungry, we must ask: what do we truly value?
An economy with a soul
Catholic Social Teaching offers a radically humane vision: the economy exists to serve people, not enslave them. Work must uphold dignity. Wealth must advance the common good. And business, in the words of Evangelii Gaudium, is a “noble vocation” only when it “produces wealth and improves the world for everyone.”
The Church does not demand the end of capitalism — it calls for its conversion.
Profit and solidarity need not be enemies. The Church reminds us that profit should be pursued, but not “at any cost.” That means paying fair wages, respecting communities, and protecting the planet: in short, obeying the Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated.
Pope Benedict XVI envisioned a “globalization of solidarity,” not merely of markets and capital. Growth that excludes the poor, he said, is ultimately self-defeating.
When profit becomes an idol, everything else especially people becomes disposable. The Church warns that such an economy violates both the seventh commandment (“Thou shalt not steal”) and the very idea of human dignity.
A moral economy requires virtue: temperance to moderate greed, justice to ensure fairness, and solidarity to remind us that we belong to one another.
Choosing Better
The transformation we need won’t come overnight, but it begins with small, deliberate acts:
Hold corporations accountable. Demand transparency about labor practices and environmental impact.
Support ethical brands. Buy from companies with fair-trade and sustainability commitments.
Consume consciously. Choose quality over quantity, repair instead of replace, and resist disposable culture.
Invest responsibly. Channel savings into funds that prioritize social good over weapons or fossil fuels.
Care for creation. Recognize that the health of the Earth and the health of humanity are one and the same.
Support peace and justice movements. Organizations like Caritas, CAFOD, and Amnesty International act where conscience meets compassion.
These are not merely lifestyle choices; they are moral decisions.
Ultimately, Catholic teaching presents a straightforward yet revolutionary test for any economy: does it serve life? Does it honor human dignity? Because a society that values profits over people may grow richer on paper, but it grows poorer in humanity. – UCA News
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
