I am reminded of someone like G. K. Chesterton, who is often thought of as a “conservative’s conservative,” but who instead of contenting himself with denouncing socialism and defending what is good about markets, pushed himself to make key contributions to the rich (and underexploited) Catholic school of distributism.
I often think of someone like the Servant of God Dorothy Day, Obl.OSB. If she saw a list of the economic policies I support, she would probably be horrified. But I find myself very often enriched by her radical critique of the state, her trust in bottom-up forms of economic organization, and her keen awareness of what is often the reality of economic exploitation.
There is a place for discernment, and for advocacy, and even for confrontation. But I think that as Catholics we are also called upon to take the Pope’s message seriously, humbly, and to let it challenge us and to incorporate it into our own thinking, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For this I’ll pray.
via Let’s Listen to Pope Francis on Economics | First Things.