No one questions the sincerity of Pope Francis when es to his demonstrated concern for the poor and downtrodden of the world. Many, however, have questioned whether the solutions that he has suggested will actually alleviate the poverty that afflicts too many around the world, or whether those solutions will actually exacerbate the problems of the poor.

Samuel Gregg, Acton’s Director of Research, addressed this topic in his March 30th Acton Lecture Series address in which he lays out some of the potential problems with the Pope’s approach to poverty, and suggests some modifications to the way that the Catholic Church applies its timeless moral principles to prudential matters of the current day.