Pope Francis Skipped Line Calling On Congress Not To Be 'Slave' To Economy, Finance
Pope Francis left out a "potentially controversial sentence" when he addressed the U.S. Congress on Thursday.
He did not refer to the "corrosive nature of money" in American politics that would make many of the 500 plus lawmakers uncomfortable. Most of the members there felt that they were already "too beholden to special interest groups", reported NPR.
After 20 minutes, the Pope was supposed to say: "If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance." However, the Vatican said he lost his place and skipped the line.
He was supposed to read the line after a Declaration of Independence's passage on self-evident truths. But instead, he just continued it as "an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life."
Francis concluded the paragraph with, "I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort," and he went on with his prepared remarks for the rest of the speech.
Outside money is pouring into the US to finance its politics, especially after Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, The Guardian notes. "Lawmakers raise tens of millions of dollars from companies and other interests - especially banks - to help fund their campaigns. Companies also pay lobbyists tens of millions of dollars every year to help sway, mold, and kill proposed legislation to suit their needs."
The coming elections could make candidates, parties and outside individuals touch 10 billion, notes Bloomberg .
Last March, at Argentina, his home nation, the Pope slammed political money.
"In the financing of electoral campaigns, many interests get into the mix, and then they send you the bill," Francis reportedly said. "Everything needs to be transparent and clean," he added, according to hngn.
