Does capitalism kill? Post-Vatican II papal perspectives on development

• Main Author: Brazal, Agnes M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: Capitalism—Religious aspects—Catholic Church; Economic development—Religious aspects—Catholic Church; Church and social problems—Catholic Church; Growth and Development; Religion
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/394; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/faculty_research/article/1393/type/native/viewcontent
• Institution: De La Salle University

This essay argues that within the context of increasing global inequality, climate change, and limits to growth, there has been a movement from Paul VI's Populorum progressio and in the succeeding Papal teachings toward a new way of understanding development in an economic model beyond neo-liberal capitalism. For them economic growth and the market economy remain important though the latter must be regulated in order to protect the common good. Pope Francis, however, has gone further than the previous popes in his strong criticism of the capitalist system, his signaling the need to delink development from economic growth, and his appreciation of the role of popular movements in line with Populorum progressio's stress on the importance of people's participation. © 2019 by Louvain Studies, all rights reserved.