Pope Francis on poverty

His message for the Sixth World Day of the Poor is a healthy provocation, says the Pope, "to help us reflect on our lifestyle and on the many poverties of the present moment.".

"A few months ago, the world was emerging from the storm of the pandemic, showing signs of economic recovery that would bring relief to millions of people impoverished by the loss of employment. There was a glimpse of serenity that, without forgetting the pain of the loss of loved ones, promised finally to be able to return to direct interpersonal relationships, to meet again without limitations or restrictions. And then a new catastrophe appeared on the horizon, destined to impose a different scenario on the world.

The war in Ukraine came to add to the regional wars that in these years are bringing death and destruction..."

Living generosity

Also In the present context of conflict, illness and war, Francis evokes the example of St. Paul, who organized collections, for example, in Corinth, to care for the poor of Jerusalem. He refers specifically to the Sunday Mass collections. "At Paul's instruction, every first day of the week they collected what they had managed to save, and they were all very generous." We too should be generous for the same reason, as a sign of the love we have received from Jesus Christ. It is a sign that Christians have always carried out with joy and a sense of responsibility, so that no sister or brother lacks what is necessary," as St. Justin testifies (cf. First Apology, LXVII, 1-6).

Living solidarity and welcoming

Thus the Pope exhorts us to not getting tired of living solidarity and welcomeAs members of civil society, let us keep alive the call to the values of freedom, responsibility, fraternity and solidarity. And as Christians, let us always find in charity, faith and hope the foundation of our being and our action". In the face of the poor, it is necessary to renounce rhetoric, indifference and the misuse of material goods.. It is not a matter of mere assistance. Nor is it activism: "it is not activism that saves, but rather sincere and generous attention to that allows me to approach a poor person as a brother who reaches out to help me wake up from the lethargy in which I have fallen".

For this reason, the Pope adds with demanding words from his programmatic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium: "no one should say that he or she keeps away from the poor because his or her life choices imply paying more attention to other matters. This is a frequent excuse in academic, business, professional and even ecclesial circles. [...] No one can feel exempted from concern for the poor and for social justice." (n. 201).

Types of poverty

And the Bishop of Rome concludes by pointing out two very different types of poverty: "The first is poverty of the poor.there is a poverty - famine and misery - that humiliates and kills, and there is another poverty, his poverty - that of Christ - that liberates us and makes us happy"..

Desperate poverty

It is the daughter of injustice, exploitation, violence and the unjust distribution of resources. "It is a desperate poverty, with no future, because it is imposed by a throwaway culture that offers no prospects and no way out". This poverty, which is often extreme, also affects "the spiritual dimension which, although often neglected, does not exist or does not count".

Anthropological poverty is, in fact, an unfortunately frequent phenomenon in the current dynamics of profit without the counterbalance - which should come first and which is not opposed to just profit - of service to people.

And that dynamic is relentless, as described by Francis in his message for the 6th World Day of the PoorWhen the only law is that of calculating profits at the end of the day, then there is no longer any brake on the logic of the exploitation of people: the others are only means. There are no more fair wages, fair working hours, and new forms of slavery are created, suffered by people who have no other alternative and must accept this poisonous injustice in order to obtain the minimum for their livelihood".

The virtue of detachment

Regarding the poverty that liberates (the virtue of detachment or voluntary poverty) is the fruit of the attitude of detachment that every Christian must cultivate.The poverty that liberates, on the other hand, is that which is presented to us as a responsible choice to lighten the ballast and focus on what is essential.

The Pope observes that today many seek to care for the least, the weak and the poor, because they see it as their own need. Far from criticizing this attitude, he values it while appreciating this educational role of the poor towards us: "the encounter with the poor allows us to put an end to so many anxieties and inconsistent fears, to arrive at what really matters in life and that no one can steal from us: true and gratuitous love. The poor, in reality, rather than being the object of our alms, are subjects that help us to free ourselves from the bonds of restlessness and superficiality".