Pope Leo XIV condemns usury, a serious sin of corruption of the human heart

Pope Leo XIV condemned usury, a practice that is a serious sin, sometimes very serious, that speaks of the corruption of the hearts of those who only see in others an “object of exploitation.”

Usury can be defined as the disproportionate charging for some type of loan, something that has existed since ancient times. Traditionally, the Catholic Church taught that the sin of usury was the action of demanding any benefit or gain for the sole loan, but this conception has evolved over time, not currently condemning the general practice of lending with interest, as long as it is moderate.

On Saturday, October 18, at the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Holy Father received the National Anti-Usury Council in Italy, which for 30 years has been dedicated to “fighting a problem that has a devastating impact on the lives of so many people and families,” according to the Press Office of the Vatican. Vatican.

In his speech, the Pontiff specified that “the phenomenon of usury evokes the theme of the corruption of the human heart. It is a painful and ancient story, already attested in the Bible. In fact, the prophets denounced usury, along with exploitation and all forms of injustice towards the poor.”

“How far from God is the attitude of those who oppress people to the point of enslaving them! It is a serious sin, sometimes very serious, because it cannot be reduced to simple accounting; usury can cause crises in families, it can wear down the mind and heart to the point of leading one to think of suicide as the only way out,” the Pope said.

Although sometimes the dynamics of usury seem to be a help, in the end it is revealed “for what it is: an overwhelming burden. The most vulnerable suffer the consequences, such as gambling victims” or those who face “difficult moments, such as extraordinary medical treatments or unexpected expenses that exceed their possibilities and those of the family. What initially seems like a help, in the long run becomes torment.”

Unfortunately, Leo

After encouraging respect for the dignity of everyone, especially the weakest and most vulnerable, the Holy Father encouraged: “Either we recover our moral and spiritual dignity or we fall as if into a pit of filth.”

Jesus, Zacchaeus and a path for the conversion of usurers

Pope Leo then referred to the Gospel passage (Luke 19:1-10) in which Jesus meets Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector of Jericho, who “was used to abuse, oppression and harassment. It was normal for someone like him to take advantage of his position to exploit people and profit by plundering the weakest.”

“So Jesus himself looks for Zacchaeus: he calls him and tells him that he wants to stay in his house. And then the unthinkable happens: Jesus’ generosity completely displaces that man and puts him against the wall. When he comes to his senses, Zacchaeus realizes his mistake and decides to pay with interest,” Leon continued.

“No one asked him so much, not even the Mosaic Law. But the truth is that his encounter with Christ transformed his heart, and then everything changes. Only generosity is so effective as to reveal to us the meaning of our humanity,” he stressed.

To conclude, the Pope highlighted that “when the desire for profit prevails, others stop being people, they stop having a face, they are mere objects of exploitation; and thus we end up losing ourselves and our own souls. The conversion of those who commit usury is as important as our closeness to those who suffer from it.”