Economia do Papa

Pope Francis Denies Beneficence of Free Markets

What to make of Pope Francis's new economic manifesto, Evangnelli Gaudium, in which His Holiness claims that there's no factual basis for believing that free markets bring about "greater justice and inclusiveness in the world"? Here are excerpts from responses by three Independent Institute scholars, beginning with Independent Institute Senior Fellow Benjamin W. Powell and his Texas Tech University colleague Darren Hudson: "In the freest of countries the poorest 10 percent of the population earns an average annual income of more than $10,000," Powell writes in the Huffington Post. "Drop down to just the next quarter of countries (the 50 to 75th percentile) and the poorest 10 percent average only $3,800. In the least free countries they earn less than $1,000." READ MORE

Pope Francis's Erroneous Economic Pontifications, by Benjamin W. Powell and Darren Hudson (The Huffington Post, 12/20/13)

Once Again, Pope Francis, by Alberto Benegas-Lynch Jr. (12/23/13)

Papal Economics, by John C. Goodman (Townhall, 12/20/13)