Populorum Progressio. A papal encyclical renouncing the International Imperialism of Money; declaring that property ownership is not inviolate, and questioning whether free trade is consistent with Christian principles. .

Send us Fan MailPopulorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI, 1967This was a class lecture, delivered in late 2020.  (Sorry for the occasional distractions)  It focuses upon one of the most significant of the papal encyclicals, one that engaged the concept of liberation theology.  Paul VI considered himself a Third World Pope, someone whose responsibilities stretched far beyond the Catholic world.  This is an extremely deep, very intellectual encyclical.  It would be good if you would download the encyclical and have it in front of you as a reference as you listen.   If we use the word “radical” to mean “going to the roots of a problem” then this document is radical.   It is also very sympathetic to the uprisings in Central America at the time. Pay special attention to the Three New Teachings, i.e., things the pope is saying that pushes church teachings beyond what it had been before. This was released in 1967 on Easter weekend.  The pope read it to an assembled crowd of cardinals and other church leaders.  If you have listened to the podcast on Rerum Novarum, these two go together well, but are quite different.  Some terms you will encounterJust WarSt. Thomas, St. AugustineColonialism and imperialismFinance capital, the international imperialism of money, economic dictatorshipLiberalism as an ideology of capitalism Two Realms/ Two PlainsEcclesiastical VocationHumanae Vitae, an encyclicalNatural lawJust wage and just trade agreements