Why Does Pope Francis Reject Prosperity for Developing Nations? by Daniel Mitchell

I first opined about Pope Francis in 2013, when I told a BBC audience why the Pope was wrong on economic policy.

The following year, I expanded on that point, explaining that statist policies are bad for the poor. And I revisited the issue again last year.

I’m not the only one making these arguments. In a column for Reason, Stephanie Slade explained why Pope Francis is deeply misguided:

“I’ve had some harsh words to describe Pope Francis. … the pontiff’s ignorance of basic economics has led him to a bad conclusion about which public policies are best able to reduce the crushing yoke of poverty in the world. … as a matter of empirical fact, markets are the single greatest engine for growth and enrichment that humanity has yet stumbled upon. … He seems to be arguing that an outlook that places the individual above ‘the common good’ is morally suspect. … his statements betray a shallowness in his understanding of the philosophy he’s impugning. If he took the time to really engage with our ideas, he might be surprised by what he learned. … what Pope Francis calls an ‘antisocial’ paradigm … is better known by another name: the liberty movement, a cooperative and sometimes even rather social endeavor among people who cherish peaceful, voluntary human interactions.”

Sadly, there’s zero evidence that Pope Francis has learned any economics since taking up residence in the Vatican.

For instance, he just visited Mauritius, a small island nation to the east of Madagascar. ….