▁them ▁to ▁provide ▁more ▁w elf are ▁aid . ▁De aling ▁with ▁the ▁Great ▁Rec ession , ▁the ▁po pe ▁critic ized ▁un brid led ▁capital ism , ▁considering ▁that ▁it ▁jud ged ▁human ▁be ings ▁purely ▁by ▁their ▁ability ▁to ▁consume ▁goods ▁and ▁made ▁people ▁miser able . ▁He ▁said ▁that ▁social ▁inequality ▁and ▁increasing ▁pover ty ▁is ▁caused ▁by ▁ne oli ber al ism , ▁and ▁preferred ▁economic ▁systems ▁with ▁a ▁higher ▁inter vention ▁by ▁the ▁state . ▁During ▁a ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁meeting ▁with ▁U . N . ▁Secretary ▁General ▁Ban ▁Ki - mo on , ▁Francis ▁called ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁to ▁encou rage ▁a ▁better ▁income ▁distribution . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁he ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁dow nt rod den ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁should ▁have ▁" s ac red ▁rights " ▁of ▁labor , ▁lod ging , ▁and ▁land , ▁and ▁den ounced ▁the ▁a uster ity ▁im posed ▁by ▁global ▁financial ▁institutions , ▁referring ▁to ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁" new ▁colonial ism ". ▁ ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁de pl ores ▁modern ▁sla very ▁and , ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁diverse ▁group ▁of ▁leaders ▁from ▁other ▁relig ions , ▁he ▁signed ▁a ▁declaration ▁prom ising ▁to ▁insp ire ▁action ▁world wide ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁eliminate ▁sla very ▁by ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁Both ▁Pope ▁Francis ▁and ▁the ▁declaration ▁described ▁sla very ▁as ▁a ▁crime ▁against ▁human ity . ▁During ▁his ▁new ▁year ▁mass ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5