Pope Francis Condemns 'Slave Labor' In Bangladesh: 'Goes Against God'

[onehandle]

Source: AFP/Huffington Post



Pope Francis on Wednesday condemned as "slave labour" the work conditions of victims of a factory collapse in Bangladesh in which more than 400 people have been found dead, Vatican radio reported.

"A headline that really struck me on the day of the tragedy in Bangladesh was 'Living on 38 euros a month'. That is what the people who died were being paid. This is called slave labour," the pope was quoted as saying at a private mass.

"Today in the world this slavery is being committed against something beautiful that God has given us -- the capacity to create, to work, to have dignity. How many brothers and sisters find themselves in this situation!" he said.

"Not paying fairly, not giving a job because you are only looking at balance sheets, only looking at how to make a profit. That goes against God!" he was quoted as saying.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/pope-francis-slave-labor_n_3191288.html

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. Uh oh.

Free market worshiping Christians aren't going to like this.

[stopbush]

2. Why does it have to "go against god" to be appalling?

What's wrong with it being inhumane?

At least humans actually exist.

[hrmjustin]

4. He is speaking as the leader of a faith.

[Posteritatis]

26. Getting upset that the Pope isn't atheist is extraordinarily silly. (nt)

[marshall]

3. He does realize these people aren't Christians, doesn't he?

We shouldn't impose our religious and cultural values on others.

[hrmjustin]

5. So the pope should only refer to injustices that have to do with Christians.

BTW he is not imposing anything on anyone. He is just giving an opinion.

[marshall]

8. He is the one who put it in a religious context

His frame of reference is not multicultural-friendly social justice. He said it is against god, which is one step away from saying it is anti-Christian.

I agree he is only stating his opinion, and is not calling for a modern day crusade (yet). But as the Head of State of an international religious organization with over one billion adherents, he must realize that his opinion carries a much higher weight than a parish priest in the barrio.

[hrmjustin]

10. Well he is speaking from his perspective.

He is the leader of a faith and that is how his statements should be viewed from.

[Hekate]

24. Are you being sarcastic?

Your objections in context don't make sense to me.

It does not matter what "frame of reference" you choose, slavery is wrong. Injustice is injustice. Hurting people is wrong. Indifference is wrong. Willful blindness is wrong.

I am quite sure he DOES realize how much weight his words and actions have in the world. The fact that he speaks out on matters of social-justice import is to be lauded. With his frame of reference he will go far to clean up his own "house", imo, which is not only the Vatican, but the Church in the world. He is also called (or obligated by his office, if you will) to speak and act for humanity at large, not just Roman Catholics.

This is a man with a conscience.

[JI7]

13. based on his beliefs they are still God's people and Muslims attended the Pope's

inauguration.

[Posteritatis]

27. Fuck that. Slavery isn't a benign cultural quirk. (nt)

[tblue]

32. He's talking to the Gap and Walmart

and everyone else who can do something about conditions in these manufacturing sites. He is speaking as the Head of his Church using the best argument he's got. At this point if it takes the fear of God to save those people, I am not about to tell the Pope to stop.

[msongs]

6. he knows extortion rackets when he sees one, as he is the head of such an activitiy nt

[LanternWaste]

15. As do you, it appears.

"he knows extortion rackets when he sees one..."

As do you, it appears-- however, I'm certain you'll rationalize a wonderfully righteous justification as to why you know them when you see them.

Good luck.!

[The Stranger]

7. Fucking A.

I like this guy.

[glinda]

17. So does Patty Smith apparently.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/10/punk-rocker-patti-smith-meets-pope-francis/

[rurallib]

9. Let's hear him call for a living wage worldwide

may be the last thing he says in public though.

[byeya]

12. The RC church has for centuries been in favor of recognizing the dignity of labor and just wages

should be paid

"The Fathers of the Church implicitly asserted the right of the labourer to sufficient compensation for the maintenance of his life when they declared that God wished the earth to be the common heritage of all men, and when they denounced as robbers the rich who refused to share their surplus goods with the needy."

St Thomas reiterated this view.

[rurallib]

19. Maybe I am wrong,but these days they seem to vascillate between poles on this

I grew up in the 1950s/ 60s version of Catholicism and that church praised workers. Then they seemed to turn their back on workers. Almost seems to change from pope to pope.

[byeya]

20. It about seems that way to me too. Like it's been downhill since Pope John 23.

I think a lot of worker support has been lost in the RC church's war on Liberation Theology and then J2P2 appointing all the world's Cardinals(except for those few appointed by Benedict).
Dorothy Day would have been canonized had John 23 lived but the church at least realizes they cannot chuck her out completely.

[byeya]

11. The RC church has long sided with the workers and for them to get fair wages and safe

working conditions in public statements.
Of course, when the wants and needs of the workers collide with the wants and needs of the RC church, then it's no contest.

This by Francis is reiteration of old church teaching.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. hmmm... google Irish Laundry girls and Magdalene Asylum

Oh never mind I'll google it for you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_asylum

Magdalene asylums were slave labor laundries from the 18th to the late-20th centuries ostensibly to house "fallen women", a term used to imply female sexual promiscuity. Asylums for such girls and women and others believed to be of poor moral character, such as prostitutes, operated throughout Europe and North America for much of the nineteenth and well into the twentieth century. London's Magdalen Asylum was active from 1758 to 1966.[1] The first such asylum in Ireland opened on Leeson Street in Dublin in 1765, founded by Lady Arabella Denny.

...

The Magdalene movement in Ireland was appropriated by the Catholic Church following Catholic Emancipation in 1829 and the homes, which were initially intended to be short-term refuges, increasingly turned into long-term institutions.[citation needed] Penitents were required to work, primarily in laundries, since the facilities were self-supporting and not funded by the state or religious denominations.

As the Magdalene movement became increasingly distant from the original idea of the rescue movement—finding alternative work for prostitutes who could not find regular employment because of their background—the asylums became increasingly prison-like. Supervising nuns were instructed to encourage the women into penance, rather than merely berating them and blocking their escape attempts.

[tblue]

33. If we're gonna list all the skeletons

in the RCC's closet, we're gonna be here a long time. Suffice it to say, they can't say they are blameless, but that doesn't mean they can't do something right. At least the Pope is doing that now by speaking up. The people of Bangladesh need all the help they can get.

[treestar]

16. This Pope is a good one

Not bad at all. Good choice for once, RC Church.

[Alamuti Lotus]

18. has he clarified his position on military dictators torturing people yet?

I know in the past he was in favor of that... but I suspect that with his new celebrity status, he may have flip-flopped on the topic to shore up the approval ratings.

Of course I agree with his statement, if it was taken at face value--but his insitutition is one of the main pillars of support for the world capitalist system that is at the heart of this matter that makes his bleed now... so it rings a slight bit hollow. The effort is not altogether unappreciated, but words alone change nothing and it is all he offers.

[struggle4progress]

35. That's an unfounded accusation

[freshwest]

21. Good. Keep it up.

[freshwest]

22. Onehandle, how about crossposting this in Interfaith or Labor?

It is May Day, after all.

Part of the labor movement stems from Biblical teaching about treatment of workers, not denying their pay and fair treatment of emigrants. Those were used to justify respect of labor. One of the brief utopian socialist communes were those of the Shakers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_socialist_movement_in_the_United_States#Utopian_communities

[Kelvin Mace]

23. Says the guy running the church that just got out of the slave trade

about 17 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_asylum

[graegoyle]

25. "Goes against [g]od"? Actually, it doesn't.

[Ash_F]

28. Hate on him all you want. I'm glad he said this. /nt

[Daniel537]

29. +1

There's plenty to criticize about the Church, but this ain't one.

[JudyM]

30. Ok, so...? If he took steps to mobilize change, I'd be happier. And hit the sex slave trade, too.

I mean, it's not as if everyone is going to rise up and take action just because he called it what it is..Actions speak louder...

[Beacool]

31. I like this Pope and I'm glad that he said it.

"Not paying fairly, not giving a job because you are only looking at balance sheets, only looking at how to make a profit. That goes against God!"

[Sand Wind]

34. Tant Is a great Pope!