In an interview published on Saturday 14/12/13 Pope Francis stated that although he is opposed to Marxism he knows of many good people who are Marxists and that many Marxists are well meaning. I feel that Pope Francis views are interesting and lay the grounds for a future debate particularly in relation to liberation theology.
Now it is not surprising that Pope Francis who has criticized capitalism has also criticized Marxism. Many people associate Marxism with Lenin who helped establish the authoritarian dictatorship in the USSR. But there was also a non authoritarian Marxism based on the ideas of people like Rosa Luxemburg.
Now myself I am a liberation theology Christian. I reject Karl Marx view that there is no good and the all dialectics in the world are material. However I agree with his view of the class struggle and the dialectical process of history and that capitalism will always have periods of crisis. You only have to look at the world economy over the last five years to confirm this point of view.
However Pope Francis who has made a positive stand on social justice has I feel opened the basis of debate which liberation theology Christians can take advantage of and so help build a new political movement for a new world society based on social justice. So it is essential that activists try and get involved in social justice and anti war groups in 2014 and try over a period of time help build a new world based on social justice.
kevinclarion 