Pope Francis chief theologian Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández has extended the doctrine of the universal destination of goods to private property: "the right to private property is not absolute"

 by Ganesh Sahathevan

Víctor Manuel Fernández

On 18 June 2021 Noticias Financieras (English) quoting then Monsignor Víctor Manuel Fernández, who was recently appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, reported, under the headline It is clear that the right to private property is not absolute, said Archbishop Fernández:

The archbishop of the Archdiocese of La Plata, Monsignor Víctor Manuel Fernández, said today that "the right to property is not absolute," and that the dignity of every human being "is above any other right." In this way, Fernandez was in line with the statements of Pope Francis, who said that private property is "a secondary right" that depends on a right understood as "the universal destiny of goods."(sic)

"He had said this proposal before, he repeated the same thing he had said last year in the Encyclical. It is striking that there is so much commotion for something that is obvious, Who can say that the right to private property is absolute, that it has no limits?" said the archbishop in a conversation with Radio Provincia. In the framework of the conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Pope Francis had raised the need for "a thorough reform of the economy".


While the universal destination of goods is part of Catholic teaching it has been understood to be a reference to public goods, for example air, water, health services and the like. While all goods are regarded the gifts of God and therefore to be employed in the service of humans, not even the Vatican can function without a guarantee of the absolute right to private proerty. 

Extending it to private property, as Fernandez and the Pope appear to have done, is novel and appears to be a product of the Argentinians’ increasingly apparent devotion to liberation theology (or liberation ministry as some call it), rather than the teachings of the church.

The Pope’s desire for "a thorough reform of the economy" requires a thorough understanding of modern economies which these two Argentinians seem to lack.

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