Pope Francis Repeals Medical Device Tax

Francis has been widely know for his humility and penchant for humanitarianism. In a statement released earlier today Francis called the device tax something that “Jesus would simply not want of a system created to help the sick.”

The Pope's announcement, on the heels of a symbolic vote by the Senate against the device tax, strikes at the tax on a whole new front – its moral basis. While he did not call for an outright repeal of the tax, Francis made it clear that he considers the tax counterintuitive to the Vatican's belief in universal healthcare. “How can you say you want to help the sick, then burden those who do so? Jesus would weep at the audacity of the Obama administration.”

The pope's statement also comes amidst pressures for the Catholic church to modernize and address more contemporary issues. “I simply cannot condone a man-made law which does so much to stand in the way of man's natural right to help his fellow human...in these difficult times the American government would do good to remember that innovation is our God given birthright.” The pope further cited Exodus 41:12 - “Blessed are they who would pioneer in the name of God. Let them do so without interference of man or beast, king or slave.”

Asked if he thought that perhaps device makers should accept the tax and embrace the simpler standards of living that the Pope himself does, Francis simply responded, “No.”

A spokeswoman from a major device maker, who declined to be named to avoid religious affiliations, applauded Francis's comments. “Jesus healed the sick and no one levied a tax on him for it,” she says. “If you really think about it he was the first innovator of healthcare. You can't feed five thousand, cure leprosy, or raise the dead if you're worried about a tax hanging over your head.”

Click here for a video of Pope Francis's statements to the press 

 - Chris Wiltz is the Associate Editor of the lost 41st chapter of the book of Exodus