Convegno Un Mondo Positivo - Claudio Testa - 24 Marzo 2023

Introduction: The Ongoing Battle

In the words of Pope Pius XI, "Money is what wounds our eyes." These words, written in 1931, still resonate today. We find ourselves living in a world where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, who wield an immense and despotic power over the economy. These individuals, often mere administrators rather than true owners, have the ability to manipulate capital as they see fit. They hold the keys to the economic soul, controlling the lifeblood that sustains our very existence.

The Bloodthirsty Distributors

Imagine a society where a select few control the flow of money, acting as the distributors of economic lifeblood. They determine who thrives and who fails, holding an unprecedented concentration of power. This concentration of forces has become the defining characteristic of our contemporary economy – a natural consequence of unbridled competition that favors only the strongest and most ruthless. In this dog-eat-dog world, conscience takes a backseat to survival.

Pope Pius XI's encyclical from 1931 serves as a stark reminder of how little has changed in almost a century. The famous Wall Street crash of 1929 may be behind us, but we continue to allow these bloodthirsty distributors to reign supreme. We must ask ourselves: How can any organism, even an economic one, survive when its lifeblood is drained at every turn? When we approach an ATM with nonchalance and casually refer to withdrawing money as "making a withdrawal," we fail to grasp the gravity of this situation.

History Repeats Itself

Some may argue that history repeats itself without rhyme or reason – a mysterious cycle beyond our control. But I contend that it is not magic or mystery at play here; it is simply a lack of imagination and willpower. We find ourselves trapped in a never-ending loop because those in power lack the creativity to break free. As Carlo Freccero once said, power no longer lies in knowledge but in money. Money may not buy knowledge, but it certainly controls its distribution. As Fonaek once remarked, "He who controls the means determines the ends."

The Painful Reality

The most poignant and delicate aspect of Pope Pius XI's text lies in its opening sentence: "Money is what wounds our eyes." How painful it is to witness the social inequalities that money creates within our society! Entire