In Europe first and now in America, elected men have taken it

In every age, rulers have been entrusted with the sacred duty to guide their people toward justice and prosperity. Yet Pope Francis, speaking with the voice of a shepherd for all nations, warns of a grave corruption of this trust. He declares, “In Europe first and now in America, elected men have taken it upon themselves to indebt their people to create an atmosphere of dependency. And why? For their own selfish need to increase their own personal power.” These words strike like a bell of truth, reminding us that the chains of oppression are not always forged of iron—sometimes, they are woven from debt, fear, and manipulation.

To indebt the people is to bind them in invisible shackles. Debt, when used with wisdom, can build nations, create opportunity, and sustain life. But when it is wielded with malice, it becomes a tool of control. Those who hold the purse strings hold the freedom of the people. As Pope Francis teaches, some leaders deliberately foster this dependency, making the populace reliant on the state, not for the sake of service, but to solidify their own dominion. Such rulers appear generous on the surface, yet beneath lies a design as ancient as tyranny itself.

History reveals this pattern in many forms. In ancient Rome, rulers like Julius Caesar offered “bread and circuses” to the masses—lavish games and free grain. While the people cheered, their spirit of independence quietly eroded, replaced by reliance on imperial favor. This dependency ensured loyalty, allowing rulers to expand their power unchecked. In time, Rome’s citizens became spectators rather than participants in their own governance, paving the way for emperors who ruled as gods.

In more recent times, similar dangers have arisen through the mechanisms of modern finance. Nations have fallen into ruin because leaders pursued reckless spending to secure short-term popularity. The Weimar Republic of post-World War I Germany was burdened with crushing debt, its currency spiraling into worthlessness. Amidst this chaos, desperate citizens became vulnerable to the promises of a new leader—Adolf Hitler, who exploited their fear and dependence to seize total control. Here we see the dark fulfillment of Pope Francis’s warning: debt and despair prepared the soil for tyranny.

Let this teaching echo through the generations: a free people must guard against leaders who trade their liberty for illusions of security. True power does not seek to enslave through fear or dependency but to uplift through opportunity and virtue. Leaders must serve as stewards, not masters, and citizens must remain vigilant. For when dependency becomes the currency of politics, freedom withers, and the chains of servitude are once again forged—this time, not by conquerors from without, but by the very hands that were chosen to protect the people.