When John Paul II was Pope, many misunderstood his position on capitalism. It was not that he was against free enterprise -- quite the contrary. He saw the liberating aspects of property ownership. What he did do was to challenge us to use this freedom in ways that promoted a better society and a better world. He reminded us that we are stewards of the gifts we have at our disposal in our businesses.
It seems that the same confusion is now happening with Pope Benedict. But as Fr. Sirico points out in this essay from the Wall Street Journal Europe, this Pope is giving the same message as his predecessor. Free enterprise and entrepreneurship yields liberty for societies. How we conduct ourselves in our businesses and how we manage the fruits of our success are issues related to our ultimate salvation.
