While discussing Argentina’s economy tonight on Fox News’ Special Report, Charles Krauthammer said Pope Francis “inherited” the “liberation theology” that emerged from Latin America in the 60s and 70s.
Argentina’s economy in the early 20th century was “a basket case,” Krauthammer said. “The reason is that capitalism practiced in Latin America but Argentina, especially, was a corrupt, crony capitalism that was a disaster.”
“Now, out of that, in all of Latin America they developed, especially in the 60’s and 70’s, what was called liberation theology,” he continued. ”Which was strongly anti-capitalist and quite leftist. … John Paul, incidentally, resisted that and he tried not to appoint bishops and cardinals of that persuasion. But, nonetheless, it’s a powerful movement, of which I suspect the pope he was at least sympathetic in his days in Argentina.”
“And he carried that into the Vatican,” Krauthammer said. “So, it’s completely understandable that he would complete and repeat and amplify the anti-capitalist message. It’s not that he is anti-American. And it’s not that I think he is in any way against the kind of democratic capitalism that we have in the west. It’s just that that is the language and the ideology that he inherited.”
“I think it is unfortunate because the moral power he carries can be translated into an ideological message,” he said. “And the ultimate irony is that if you adopt a liberation theology economics, the ones who suffer most, as in Argentina, are the poor.”