Do You Agree With Pope That Free Market Has Become a 'New Tyranny'?

By Chris Helms

The head of the Roman Catholic Church has taken a bold stand against the excesses of capitalism, calling free-market economics a "new tyranny."

Pope Francis called on believers to say "no" to the "new idolatry of money" in an 84-page documentthat Salon calls the official "platform of his papacy." Here's an excerpt:

"While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few. This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation."

Reaction the new pope's message has varied. Emma Green at The Atlantic says the papacy has moved from hard-line anti-communism to placing its most intense criticism on capitalism. One conservative outlet, The Blaze, said a close reading shows thepontiff does support markets if they are truly free.

The pontiff's messages are of special interest here in Massachusetts, which is home to the highest percentage of Catholics in the country. What's your take on the pope's new message about the responsibilities of the better-off toward the poor?