In some people’s eyes, the words Worker and Catholic Worker give the Catholic Worker movement a bad name, even today. We were quite surprised when someone we had known for twenty years introduced us to a colleague as people who could explain the good parts of socialism. “What?” we said. “We are not socialists!” “Then… continue reading
The Encyclical Caritas in Veritate Through the Lens of Casa Juan Diego
February 1, 2010 by
Josh is a Catholic Worker at Casa Juan Diego, recently graduated from North Park University in Chicago. Caritas in Veritate is an invitation to think differently. It is, above all, a challenge to think like a Christian in matters beyond one’s ‘personal religious experience’ or ‘private life.’ The Church has often-untapped resources, beyond that which… continue reading
Pope Benedict XVI Cites Focolare’s Economy of Communion as Economic Model
October 1, 2009 by
In his new encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth) , Pope Benedict pointed to the Economy of Communion as a promising economic model. The Economy of Communion in Freedom, as it is officially called, is a network of businesses linked to the Focolare Movement. The Economy of Communion was launched in 1991 when Focolare founder… continue reading
Interview with Focolare’s Economy of Communion Business
October 1, 2009 by
The Houston Catholic Worker Interviewed Joan Duggan and Tom Rowley the Economy of Communion – Joan Duggan and Tom and JoAnn Rowley are co-owners of “Finish Line,” an Economy of Communion educational services business specializing in tutoring. Joan is on the Board of the Economy of Communion for North America. HCW : Thank you both… continue reading
Encyclical Caritas in Veritate: People-Centered Economic Ethics Must Embrace All the Stakeholders, Not Just the Stockholders
October 1, 2009 by
Pope Benedict’s XVI’s social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate , took the economic world by surprise. While readers on the right and the left were both waiting for more statements about capitalism and socialism, they found instead a challenge to Catholics and other people of good will of “a profoundly new way of understanding business enterprise” (40)…. continue reading
It’s All About Usury
June 1, 2009 by
With all the turmoil in the financial industry, you would think that there would be a national conversation of money and lending. You would think that this would be a good time to re-examine the way we create money and the way we lend it. You would think, especially, that it would be a good… continue reading
The Economic Crisis of 2008-2009: The Logic of the Market is Unacceptable
February 1, 2009 by
This article appeared in a “symposium in print” in the National Catholic Register in November 2008. God brought Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin together to form the Catholic Worker movement at a time when the world was facing an economic crash similar to today’s. They critiqued robber barons, banks, the financial system, and the free… continue reading
Pope Benedict XVI: Self-Interest Will Destroy the World
February 1, 2009 by
Pope Benedict XVI contradicted the reigning philosophies of self-interest, warning listeners gathered to hear his Angelus reflection on the Feast of Christ the King: “If each one thinks only of his or her own interests, the world can only go to ruin.” Contrasting the message of Jesus with the idea of basing our lives and… continue reading
Chesterton and John Paul II on Capitalism
February 1, 2009 by
by Donald Boland, Center for Thomistic Studies, Sydney, Australia Confusingly, the word “Capitalism” is used both for an economic system that has an abnormal condition in regard to the distribution of wealth or property, and one where the distribution of wealth is not an issue. Both are systems that are based upon the institution of… continue reading
Faith and the Financial Crisis
February 1, 2009 by
Jim is the Editor of The Common Good, the newspaper of Christchurch Catholic Worker in New Zealand. There is no easy way to write about the financial crisis which has hit the global economy these past months. In New Zealand, more than 20 financial institutions have gone to the wall. Investors have lost everything. The… continue reading
