Lent is a time for sacrifices in religious circles. However, this year, a group of nuns has elected to encourage believers to instead purge themselves of a different kind of filth that has increasingly risen to the forefront in America over the past few months: billionaires.
“It’s not like giving up a sweet indulgence like chocolate,” explained Sister Emily TeKolste, a nun who works for NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. “When we say we’re giving up billionaires, we mean we are working toward a future where no one is allowed to hoard excessive wealth and power — so that we can live in a world that looks more like the Kingdom of God.”
NETWORK’s Crusade
The effort by NETWORK is less about cultivating a community of billionaire-hating worshippers and more about encouraging members of Congress to overcome the temptation to bow to the whims of the ultra-wealthy amid Donald Trump’s presidency.
The political influence of billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and especially Elon Musk has run rampant ever since Trump took office for his second term, and NETWORK is taking a righteous stand against this tyranny.
“This Lent, we are urging Congress to reject tax cuts for billionaires and to protect programs that provide critical services like access to food and health care in our communities,” TeKolste explained. “We’ll be doing this by calling Congress, writing letters to the editor, posting on social media, and sharing about the campaign with others in our lives.”
NETWORK has created social media messages and graphics for people to post to spread the message about “giving up billionaires for Lent.” The group has also documented the financial impact of billionaires hoarding wealth and how that comes into direct conflict with the Catholic Church’s teachings, despite Republicans’ constant invoking of religion as a means to an end.
The Sins of the Ultra-Wealthy
The staunch divide between the wealthy and the poor has grown steadily wider over the past several years. However, as Trump’s second term began, the ultra-wealthy were afforded a massive leg up. Many saw their wealth increase severalfold in the first few days of Trump’s presidency alone, thanks to their investments in him and his platforms.
Under Trump, this divide looks set to keep growing, with no signs of slowing. While CEO compensation has exploded by 1,085% since 1978, the average worker’s compensation is only up 24% over those 45 years.
The top 10% of households in the US together have 67% of total household wealth, leaving 90% of Americans to share the other third. The bottom half together have just 2.5% of household wealth. While the top 10% have an average household wealth of $6.9 million, the bottom half have an average of just $51,000. Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, has over $350 billion.
Righteous Restoration
Lent is a holy holiday, a time for repentance, sacrifice, and forgiveness. NETWORK hopes that this Lent can bring about a more just and fair sense of wealth throughout the country, especially across the political spectrum.
