Pope urges wealthy to share with poor

Pope Benedict XVI today denounced what he called the world’s “profit mindset”.

He warned money can turn people into “blind egoists” and urging the wealthy to share their riches with the poor.

Benedict said life was about making choices between good and bad, between altruism and egoism, honesty and dishonesty.

Ultimately, he said, it was about making the choice between God and Satan.

“Money in itself isn't 'dishonest', but more than any other thing it can close man off into a blind egoism,” Benedict said.

He called for a “conversion” of economic goods, “rather than using them for self-interest, we should also think about the needs of the poor, imitating Christ”.

Benedict made the comments in two separate appearances today, during a morning parish visit to the diocese of Velletri and later to the faithful gathered for his traditional Sunday blessing at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

The topic of social economic justice is expected to be explored further by Benedict in his second encyclical, which Vatican officials have confirmed will deal with social themes.