Maybe Rome is ahead of the U.S. bishops when it comes to the economy.Catholic News Service reports:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has prepared a document on reform of the global financial system and the potential role of a public regulatory authority.The document, prepared by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was to be released Oct. 24 in four languages, and presented the same day at a Vatican news conference by Cardinal Peter Turkson, head of the council.The Vatican said the document would address "reform of the international financial system with a view toward a general public authority."

This could give Catholic conservatives palpitations.On the other hand, the CNS story notes that Pope Benedict's powerful 2009 social justice encyclical, "Charity in Truth" ("Caritas in Veritate"), is an inspiration for the forthcoming document and is also a touchstone for the neo-distributists I wrote about this week.Pontifex maximus?