At least one Catholic organization is denouncing Rush Limbaugh's remarks after the radio host chastised Pope Francis for his recent criticisms of global inequalities of wealth.

Pope Francis struck a chord with Catholics and non-Catholics alike when he issued his first apostolic exhortation, “The Joy of the Gospel,” a commentary on his “vision of the Church” and his thoughts on the state of modern capitalism and global economic inequality. Among his comments was a specific criticism of “trickle down” economics -- which Francis declared has not been proven to work and reveals a “naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power.”

On his November 27 radio show, Rush Limbaugh attacked the pope's message, claiming that it was “pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope”:

LIMBAUGH: I came across last night -- I mean, it totally befuddled me. If it weren't for capitalism, I don't know where the Catholic Church would be. Now, as I mentioned before, I'm not Catholic. I admire it profoundly, and I've been tempted a number of times to delve deeper into it. But the pope here has now gone beyond Catholicism here, and this is pure political. Now, I want to share with you some of this stuff.

“Pope Francis attacked unfettered capitalism as 'a new tyranny.' He beseeched global leaders to fight poverty and growing inequality, in a document on Tuesday setting out a platform for his papacy and calling for a renewal of the Catholic Church. In it, Pope Francis went further than previous comments criticizing the global economic system, attacking the 'idolatry of money.' ”

I've gotta be very caref-- I have been numerous times to the Vatican. It wouldn't exist without tons of money. But, regardless, what this is -- somebody has either written this for him or gotten to him. This is just pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope. There's no such -- “unfettered capitalism”? That doesn't exist anywhere.

Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) issued a response on November 27 and began a petition denouncing Limbaugh on December 2. In a statement, the group's representative Christopher Hale indicated that Catholics “of all political stripes are disturbed by Rush Limbaugh's incendiary comments.” The full statement read as follows:

“Catholics of all political stripes are disturbed by Rush Limbaugh's incendiary comments this afternoon about Pope Francis. To call the Holy Father a proponent of ”pure marxism" is both mean spirited and naive. Francis's critique of unrestrained capitalism is in line with the Church's social teaching. His particular criticism of “trickle down economics” strengthens what Church authorities have said for decades: any economic system which deprives the poor of their dignity has no place within a just society.

Contrary to what Mr. Limbaugh suggests, the Catholic Church isn't built on money, but on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ.

We call on Mr. Limbaugh to apologize and retract his remarks. We urge other Church organizations and leaders--both ordained and lay--to also condemn Mr. Limbaugh's comments.

We proudly stand with Pope Francis as he provides prophetic leadership for the Catholic Church and the entire world."

While the pope's comments were deemed controversial by Limbaugh, his views are not new to the papacy. Catholic.org noted that “the pope's skepticism of free markets and concern about the lack of ethics in finance were shared by his predecessor, Benedict XVI. The Catholic World Report agreed adding:

Pope Francis' exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”) continues and reinforces a vision of the Church found in the early studies of the future Pope Benedict XVI--a vision that was central to Benedict's teachings as the Successor of St. Peter.  In Evangelii Gaudium, Francis draws from his own experiences and in his own way continues his predecessor's vision. In doing so, he is making clear that the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church stands at a critical juncture in a dangerous time. This makes Francis' exhortation a simple one: as Christians have done in ages past, the faithful today must live the Gospel always, everywhere, and radically. They must rely on the grace of God and relentlessly and sacrificially “love in the present,” as a young Joseph Ratzinger put it.

Meanwhile, Limbaugh, who has a habit of attacking the faith of progressives, has speculated whether “the worldwide left” may have deliberately mistranslated the pope in an effort to make him appear liberal.