Pope Francis Taught the World a Lesson About Capitalism

On Monday morning, the world misplaced greater than a spiritual chief. We misplaced a ethical compass. A world shepherd for the poor. A delicate warrior who dared to inform the highly effective the fact about their obligations to the powerless. His Holiness Pope Francis didn’t simply preach from the pulpit—he lived amongst the folks, particularly the forgotten. In doing so, he redefined what ethical management seems to be like in our time.

I’m not Catholic. However I’ve at all times admired Pope Francis—not merely for his non secular authority, however for his financial readability. He understood one thing most leaders nonetheless wrestle to understand: the economic system is not only a system. It’s a reflection of our values. And if our values are damaged—if we worship cash greater than we uplift folks—then the system will break too.

Pope Francis believed in capitalism, however not the sort that exploits, extracts, and abandons. He believed in an economic system that works for everybody—particularly the poor, the marginalized, the excluded. I name this “Good Capitalism.” And in his personal method, so did he.

Poverty is not only about cash. It’s about a lack of entry, a lack of alternative, a lack of perception. It’s about methods that have been by no means designed to work for everybody—however will be reimagined to do precisely that. Pope Francis preached the similar gospel in numerous language. When he mentioned, “Nobody can stay insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world,” he was calling out the similar financial injustice that impressed me to discovered Operation HOPE and launch Monetary Literacy for All. When he declared that “an economic system that excludes kills,” he wasn’t being dramatic. He was being correct.

There’s a purpose why Pope Francis selected the title of St. Francis of Assisi—the patron saint of the poor. He led with humility. He refused to stay in the grand papal condo. He drove a modest automobile. He washed the ft of prisoners. This wasn’t theater. It was theology. It was servant management in its purest type. And it was a quiet rebuke of the delight and greed that too typically outline our public life.

Pope Francis mentioned, “The wealthy should assist, respect, and promote the poor.” His life—and his demise—ought to problem all of us to ask tougher questions: What sort of economic system are we constructing? Who’s it abandoning? And what would it not imply to place folks—not income—at the heart of our choices?

For me, this isn’t simply idea. It’s observe. I’ve seen what occurs after we train somebody how cash works—after we enhance a credit score rating, assist somebody purchase their first residence, or help a small enterprise in a struggling group. Dignity returns. Hope is restored. And the economic system grows—not simply in {dollars}, however in power.