Pope Leo XIV reiterated the Church’s condemnation of usury while meeting with members of Italy’s National Anti-Usury Council on Saturday.
During the October 18 address to the Anti-Usury Council, the pontiff strongly condemned the practice of usury as a “grave sin” that “corrupts the human heart,” emphasizing that it ultimately enslaves the most vulnerable of the population. Usury, or the practice of charging excessive interest rates on loans, has been consistently condemned by the Church.
“The phenomenon of usury points to the corruption of the human heart. It is a painful and ancient story, already attested to in the Bible,” Leo noted.
