Pope: Property Ownership is a Secondary Right
June 29, 2021
Pope Francis sent out a strong message Thursday during a videoconference with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), when he affirmed that private property is a “secondary,” not primary, right. The Pope also touched on reconstruction of global economies post-pandemic during his talk.
"Sometimes, when talking about private property, we forget that it is a secondary right which depends on a primary right: the universal destination of goods," the leader of the Catholic Church told the summit in Geneva.
"At this time of reflection, in which we try to shape our future action and shape an international post-Covid-19 agenda, we should pay special attention to the real danger of forgetting those who have been left behind," Francis said.
The Argentine pontiff also analysed the impact of recent increases in unemployment, as well as the toll the Covid-19 pandemic has taken on the economy globally. Francis called on his listeners to take advantage of this "crucial moment in social and economic history" as an opportunity for cooperation among employers, unions, and political leaders.
The pope emphasised the difficulties businesses have in an effort to get ahead, remarking that "some run the risk of total or partial bankruptcy.” He acknowledged that 2020 brought an “unprecedented loss of employment" worldwide.
“Business activity is essentially a noble vocation aimed at producing wealth and improving the world for all,” he said. Along the same lines, Francis argued (as he had in his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti) that above the right to private property "there is the prior and precedent right of subordination of all private property to the universal destiny of the goods of the Earth and, therefore, everyone's right to use them".
Universal destination of goods is a Catholic concept which asserts that the results of God’s creation are meant to be shared among humankind as a whole, while also leaving wiggle room for the individual right to private property.
"We should continue exercising special care for the common good," stressed the highest authority of the Catholic Church in a later part of his video message.
The Pope suggested that once the pandemic is over, reconstruction of the world economy should aim to include "decent and dignified working conditions”, with the "right to organise" upheld as a central pillar.
Story by BA Times; Cover image by Unsplash
Comments