There are 2.1 billion Christians in the world, one third of all religious people. Of that 2.1 billion, 1.2 billion are Catholic. The Pope is the spiritual leader of 57% of the Christians in the world.
The Vatican has recently released Pope Benedict XVI's third encyclical, entitled "Caritas in Veritate," or "Charity in Truth". The Pope spent two years writing this encyclical.
Papal Encyclicals, by the way are pretty big deals. It isn't just one guy's opinion. This is just one step away from God telling the flock what to think. Even when they are not ex cathedra, they can nonetheless be sufficiently authoritative to end theological debate on a particular question.
The Pope called for a reform of the United Nations so there could be a unified "global political body" that allowed the less powerful of the earth to have a voice, and he called on rich nations to help less fortunate ones. "In the search for solutions to the current economic crisis, development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means of creating wealth for all," he wrote.
The encyclical also contained elements "very critical" of how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank "have required cuts in social spending in the third world." The Pope lamented the decline of the social welfare state and praised the "importance" of labor unions to protect workers. Without stable work, he noted, people lose hope and tend not to get married and have children.
The Pope called for "greater social responsibility" on the part of business. "Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty." He urged financiers in particular to "rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/world/...Of course Christ's main message was to care less about wealth and care more for the less fortunate. In my opinion, the Pope in his 144 page document, which was updated to speak to the current economic crisis, seems to be berating the conservatives in Europe and America. He seems to be saying stop coddling the rich, create jobs, and help those most in need.
I expect Fox News and Hate Radio to brand Pope Benedict a dirty communist any time now.