Policy Papers

In our policy papers, you will find rigorous applied research examining important aspects of Catholic Social Teaching in the world today. Please follow us on social media to be notified when we publish new policy papers!

 

Usury & Interest: Correcting Modern Errors

The modern debate on the question of usury seems to have settled on a position that allows for profitable interest to be charged. Curiously, most Catholics seem to think that the current system fits within the Church’s teaching on usury, with the exception of what is regarded as obviously-usurious lending in the case of credit cards with very high rates of interest. In this paper we draw on the Magisterial teaching of the Church and modern economic theory to correct the record on the permissibility of lending at interest. We argue that lending at interest is always usurious and that apparent exceptions found in the writings of the past suffer either from a deficient understanding of clear Church teaching or a confusion in interpretation of modern terminology. We find that nearly all lending today is usurious and that other means can be used to allocate capital and lend to those in need. Since they avoid usury, these other means would improve the current system by making it more just.

Nil Desperandum – How Doubt Works Against Catholic Social Teaching

An analysis of one of the biggest hindrances to implementing Catholic Social Teaching