"Do you really think that the Holy Father doesn’t understand economics? Or that the vast social teaching of the Church concerning economics, reaching back well into the middle ages, is insufficient to deal with the modern realities? Does the Holy Father need to have an in-depth understanding of the casualty ratio of bunker busting missiles before he gives the Church’s teaching on a just war? The whole “the Popes don’t understand the intricacies of modern economics” therefore they shouldn’t really speak about them is a canard used to force the Sovereign Pontiffs into their own corner and speak on those things about which we want them to speak. Too many of us in the traditionalist or conservative Catholic movements desire the Sovereign Pontiff to rain down his wrath from the steps of Saint Peter’s against liturgical abuse or pro-abortion politicians (and well he should). But when he crosses the line into our own sacrosanct Americanist understanding of economics, or the social questions, we politely tell him that he’s gone too far. The Church does have the right and duty to speak on the social question, economics included. And we are bound by the Church’s teaching concerning social matters… such as Rerum Novarum." ]

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/11/benedict-xvis-social-encyclical-delayed/