449 MATERIAL, EMOTIONAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND SPIRITUAL POVERTY

YOUCAT Lesson 449

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449  What significance do the poor have for Christians?

Love for the poor must be in every age the distinguishing mark of Christians.  The poor deserve not just a few alms; they have a claim to justice.  For Christians there is a special obligation to share their goods.  Our example in love for the poor is Christ.  [2443-2446]  427

Meet Tigist Astale, center, who is an epidemiologist with the Carter Center Trachoma Control Program in Ethiopia. ....449

Astale is committed to gathering quality data in the field on trachoma disease despite many logistical challenges, including angry dogs, runaway cattle, and crocodile-filled rivers.  Trachoma is a chronic contagious bacterial conjunctivitis marked by inflammatory granulations on the conjunctival surfaces, caused by a chlamydia. It commonly resulting in blindness if left untreated.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)—that is the first sentence in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  There is material, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual poverty.  Christians must look after the needy of this earth with great consideration, love, and perseverance.  After all, on no other point will they be evaluated by Christ so decisively as on their way of treating the poor: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).  427

“Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life.  The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.”  St. John Chrysostom (349/350-407)

A family of Assyrian Christians forced by ISIS to flee their homes took refuge in October 2014 at a Catholic church in Amman, Jordan.  photo by Peter Jesserer Smith ….. 449

[2443-2446] 

VI. LOVE FOR THE POOR

2443 God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them: "Give to him who begs from you, do not refuse him who would borrow from you"; "you received without pay, give without pay." (Matthew 5:42; Mt 10:8.)²³² It is by what they have done for the poor that Jesus Christ will recognize his chosen ones. (Compare Matthew 25:31-36.)²³³ When "the poor have the good news preached to them," it is the sign of Christ's presence. (Matthew 11:5; compare Luke 4:18)²³⁴ --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition.

2444 "The Church's love for the poor . . . is a part of her constant tradition." This love is inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes, of the poverty of Jesus, and of his concern for the poor. (Centesimus Annus 57; compare Luke 6:20-22, Matthew 8:20; Mark 12:41-44.)²³⁵ Love for the poor is even one of the motives for the duty of working so as to "be able to give to those in need." (Ephesians 4:28.)²³⁶ It extends not only to material poverty but also to the many forms of cultural and religious poverty. (Compare Centesemus Annus 57.)²³⁷ –CCC

2445 Love for the poor is incompatible with immoderate love of riches or their selfish use: --CCC

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you. (James 5:1-6.)²³⁸ –CCC

2446 St. John Chrysostom vigorously recalls this: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in Lazaro 2,5:Patrologia Graeca 48,992.)²³⁹ "The demands of justice must be satisfied first of all; that which is already due in justice is not to be offered as a gift of charity": (Apostolicam Actuositatem 8 § 5.)²⁴⁰ –CCC

When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice. (Apostolicam Actuositatem 8 § 5.)²⁴¹ --CCC

448 POVERTY AND UNDERDEVELOPMENT

YOUCAT Lesson 448

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448  Are poverty and underdevelopment an inescapable fate?

God has entrusted to us a rich earth that could offer all men sufficient food and living space.  Yet there are whole regions, countries, and continents in which many people have scarcely the bare necessities for living.  There are complex historical causes for this division in the world, but it (can be remedied).  The rich countries have the moral obligation to help the underdeveloped nations out of poverty through developmental aid and the establishment of just economic and commercial conditions.

Mwemena remembers “a feeling of revolt and despair” upon having her family’s land seized by the Chemaf mining company. “I shouldn’t have had to leave under these conditions without any assurance of the future, without any alternative means of livelihood.” She makes and sells charcoal (photo above) to help pay the bills. ….. 448

Crying Out for Reform in Congo

Most of the mines in the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo are operated by multinational companies, which means the Congolese people reap very little of the profits from their own homeland. Since 2007, The Carter Center (yes, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn) has been advocating for mining reform by pushing for transparency in mining contracts and conducting human rights impact assessments. It has also encouraged mining companies to fairly compensate people whose lands the companies have taken.

There are more than a billion people living on this earth who must make do with less than one dollar per day.  They suffer from a lack of food and clean drinking water; most of them have no access to education or medical care.  It is estimated that more than 25,000 people die every day from malnutrition.  Many of them are children.

“Economy of Communion” was developed so that one day we will be able to give this example: a people in which no one is needy and no one is poor.”  Chiara Lubich (1920-2008; foundress of the Focolare Movement), 2001

“The hungry nations of the world cry out to the peoples blessed with abundance.  And the Church, cut to the quick by this cry, asks each and every man to hear his brother’s plea and answer it a lovingly.  Paul VI, (1897-1978), Encyclical “Populorum Progessio”

447 GLOBALIZATION IN CIVIL SOCIETY

 YOUCAT Lesson 447 A

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447  Is globalization exclusively a matter of politics and economics?

There used to be the idea of a division of labor: economics should be concerned about increasing wealth, and politics should be concerned about distributing it justly.  In the age of globalization, however, profits are obtained globally, while politics to a great extent is still limited within national boundaries.  Therefore, what is needed today is not just the strengthening of transnational political institutions, but also the initiatives of individuals and social groups that are active economically in the poorer regions of the world, not primarily for the sake of profit, but rather out of a spirit of solidarity and love.  The market and the State are necessary, but so is a strong civil society.

Wealth inequality.  Catholic News Agency photo ….. 447

A study by the World Institute for Development Economics Research at United Nations University reports that the richest 1% of adults alone owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and that the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total. The bottom half of the world adult population owned 1% of global wealth. Moreover, another study found that the richest 2% own more than half of global household assets.

In a market, products and services are exchanged for goods having the same value.  In many regions of this world, however, the people are so poor that they cannot offer anything in exchange and therefore continue to be left behind.  So there is a need for economic initiatives that are defined, not by the “logic of exchange”, but rather by the “logic of the unconditional gift” (Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate).  This means, not merely giving alms to the poor, but rather helping them to help themselves by opening up paths to economic freedom.  There are Christian initiatives, for instance the “Economy of Communion” project of the Focolare Movement, which today involves more than 750 businesses worldwide.  There are also non-Christian social entrepreneurs who, though profit-oriented, nevertheless work in the spirit of a “culture of giving” with the goal of alleviating poverty and marginalization.

“As society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbors but does not make us brothers.  Reason, by itself, is capable of grasping the equality between men and of giving stability to their civic coexistence, but it cannot establish fraternity.”  Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate

 “The economy in the global era seems to privilege the former logic, that of contractual exchange, but directly or indirectly it also demonstrates its need for the other two: political logic and the logic of the unconditional gift.”  Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate

In a market, products and services are exchanged for goods having the same value.  In many regions of this world, however, the people are so poor that they cannot offer anything in exchange and therefore continue to be left behind.  So there is a need for economic initiatives that are defined, not by the “logic of exchange”, but rather by the “logic of the unconditional gift” (Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate).

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 27, 2017

Immigrants to the United States take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, September 2016.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 27, 2017
Lectionary: 148

Reading 1   EXodus 22:20-26

Thus says the LORD:  "You shall not molest or oppress an alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.  You shall not wrong any widow or orphan.  If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me,
I will surely hear their cry.  My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

"If you lend money to one of your poor neighbors among my people, you shall not act like an extortioner toward him by demanding interest from him.  If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you shall return it to him before sunset; for this cloak of his is the only covering he has for his body. What else has he to sleep in? If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate."

Responsorial PsalmPS 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, O LORD, my strength,
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

My God, my rock of refuge,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim,
and I am safe from my enemies.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

The LORD lives and blessed be my rock!
Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king
and showed kindness to your anointed.

R. I love you, Lord, my strength.

Reading 2  1 THESsalonians 1:5C-10

Brothers and sisters:  You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake.  And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, receiving the word in great affliction, with joy from the Holy Spirit, so that you became a model for all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.  For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. For they themselves openly declare about us what sort of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to await his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the coming wrath.

Alleluia  JohN 14:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord,
and my Father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel  MaTthew 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law tested him by asking, "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"  He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and the first commandment.  The second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

446 GLOBALIZATION

YOUCAT Lesson 446

YOUCAT the catechism for Catholic youth

446  What does the Church say about globalization?

Globalization is in itself neither good nor bad; it is, rather, the description of a reality that must be shaped.  “Originating within economically developed countries, this process by its nature has spread to include all economies.  It has been the principal driving force behind the emergence from underdevelopment of whole regions, and in itself it represents a great opportunity.  Nevertheless, without the guidance of charity in truth, this global force could cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions within the human family”  (Pope Benedict XVI, CARITAS IN VERITATE).

In economic globalization there are some who have only burdens to bear. ….. 446

When we buy inexpensive jeans, we should not be indifferent to the conditions in which they were manufactured, to the question of whether or not the workers received a just wage.  Everyone’s fortune matters.  No one’s poverty should leave us indifferent.  On the political level, there is a need for “a true world political authority” (Pope Benedict XVI, citing Pope St. John XXIII, Encyclical “Pacem in Terris”) to help reach a compromise between the people in the rich nations and those in underdeveloped countries.  Far too often the later are still excluded from the advantages of economic globalization and have only burdens to bear.

“It is disturbing to witness a globalization that exacerbates the conditions of the needy, that does not sufficiently contribute to resolving situations of hunger, poverty, and social inequality that fails to safeguard the natural environment.  These aspects of globalization can give rise to extreme reactions, leading to excessive nationalism, religious fanaticism, and even acts of terrorism.”  Pope St. John Paul II, (1920-2005), 2003

445 LABOR BEFORE CAPITAL

YOUCAT Lesson 445

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445  What is meant by the principle “labor before capital”?

The Church has always taught “the principle of the priority of labor over capital” (Pope St. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens).  Man owns money or capital as a thing.  Labor, in contrast is inseparable from the person who performs it.  That is why the basic needs of laborers have priority over the interests of capital.

Firefighters gathered in Madison to protest Wisconsin’s 2011 anti-union Act 10 legislation. …..445

The owners of capital and investors have legitimate interests, too, which must be protected.  It is a serious injustice, however, when entrepreneurs and investors try to increase their own profits at the expense of the basic rights of their laborers and employees.

“Everything contained in the concept of capital in the strict sense is only a collection of things.  Man as the subject of work, and independently of the work that he does—man alone is a person.” Pope St. John Paul II, (1920-2005), Laborem Exercens

444 LABOR AND UNEMPLOYMENT

YOUCAT Lesson 444

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444  What does the Church’s social doctrine say about the topics of labor and unemployment?

To work is a duty that God has given to us.  In a common effort we are supposed to look after and continue his work of creation.  “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).  For most people, work is the foundation of life.  Unemployment is a serious misfortune that must be dealt with resolutely.

St. Joseph the carpenter with the boy Jesus.  Painting by Georges de La Tour about 1645. ….. 444

While today many people who would like to work find no jobs, there are also “workaholics” who work so much that they have no time left for God and their fellowmen.  And while many people can scarcely feed themselves and their families with their wages, others earn so much that they can live a life of unimaginable luxury.  Work is not an end in itself but should serve the development of a humane society.  That is why Catholic social teaching is committed to an economic order in which all men can collaborate actively and share in the prosperity that is achieved.  It insists on a just wage that enables all to have a dignified existence, and it calls on the rich to practice the virtues of moderation, solidarity, and sharing.  47, 332

“Work is a good thing for man—a good thing for his humanity—because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes “more a human being”.  Pope John Paul II (1920-2005), Encyclical “Laborem Exercens (LE)

443 ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL RESPONSIBILITY

YOUCAT Lesson 443

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443  What is the duty of managers and entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurs and managers are concerned about the commercial success of their company.  Besides their legitimate interests (including the profit motive), they also have a social responsibility to take into account the just concerns of their employees, suppliers, and customers, as well as of society as a whole, and also to be considerate of the environment.  [2432]

Many large multinational companies retain untaxed profits in tax haven jurisdictions which offer no or very low corporate taxes, as well as other tax benefits. ….. 443

2432 Those responsible for business enterprises are responsible to society for the economic and ecological effects of their operations.  They have an obligation to consider the good of persons and not only the increase of profits. Profits are necessary, however. They make possible the investments that ensure the future of a business and they guarantee employment. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

442 CAPITALISM OR FREE-MARKET ECONOMY

YOUCAT Lesson 442

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442  What is the Church’s stance on capitalism or the free-market economy?

Any form of capitalism that is not embedded in an established system of law runs the risk of detaching itself from the common good and becoming a mere means for individuals to make profits.  The Church rejects that decisively.  On the other hand, she supports a free-market system which is at the service of man, prevents monopolies, and ensures that all are supplied with employment and vitally necessary goods.  [2426]

The Animas River between Silverton and Durango within 24 hours of the spill. The river turned yellow from the oxidation of dissolved iron in the escaped waste water...... 442

Catholic social teaching evaluates all societal arrangements according to whether they serve the common good, which means: to the extent that they enable “men, families, and associations more adequately and readily (to) attain their own perfection.” (Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes).  This is also true of commerce, which in the first place should be at the service of man.

“Capitalism without humanity, solidarity, and justice has no morals and no future either.”  Reinhard Cardinal Marx (b. 1953; Archbishop of Munich and Freising)

“Locating resources, financing, production, consumption, and all the other phases in the economic cycle inevitably have moral implications.  Thus every economic decision has a moral consequence.”  Pope Benedict XVI, CiV

[2426]

IV. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

2426 The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social justice so as to correspond to God's plan for man. --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Editition

441 DEMOCRACY

YOUCAT Lesson 441

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441  What does the Church say about democracy?

The Church supports democracy, because of all political systems it offers the best conditions for achieving equality before the law and safeguarding human rights.  In order to do that, however, democracy must be more than mere majority rule.  True democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law that recognizes the fundamental God given rights of all and defends them, if necessary, even against the will of the majority.  [1922]

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician, author, and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 39^th President of the United States 1977 to 1981. He was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. …..441

Former President Jimmy Carter believes the United States’ campaign finance system is so broken that the country is no longer a functional democracy. Appearing on the Thom Hartmann show this week, Carter said that “unlimited political bribery” is “the essence of getting the nominations for president or to elect the president.” He said the same problems are present in elections for “U.S. senators and congress members.”

History teaches that even democracy offers no absolute protection from violations of human dignity and human rights.  It always runs the risk of becoming a tyranny of the majority over a minority.  Democracy depends on preconditions that it cannot guarantee in and of itself.  That is why Christians in particular must make sure that the values indispensable to a democracy are not undermined.

“A democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism.”  Pope John Paul II, (1920-2005), Encyclical  “Centesimus Annus”

IN BRIEF

  

1922 The diversity of political regimes is legitimate, provided they contribute to the good of the community. –Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition

440 POLITICS A DUTY IN A SPIRIT OF CHARITY, TRUTH, AND JUSTICE

YOUCAT Lesson 440

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440  Are Christians obliged to become involved in politics and society?

It is a special duty of the Christian laity people to become involved in politics, society, and commerce in the spirit of the Gospel: in charity, truth, and justice.  Catholic social teaching offers them clear guidance in this endeavor.  [2442]

The bumper sticker depicts a human embryo at left and a baby seal at right.  It asks the question “Guess which one isn’t protected.”  I have one of these stickers on my Camry (above) and another on my Toyota Sienna (not shown). ….. 440

Partisan political activity is, however, incompatible with the ministry of bishops, priests, and religious who must be of service to everyone.“It is appropriate to emphasize the preeminent role that belongs to the laity, both men and women…It is their task to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment by which they show that they are witnesses and agents of peace and justice.”  Pope John Paul II (1920-2005).  Encyclical “Sollicitudo rei Socialis”

 [2442]

V. JUSTICE AND SOLIDARITY AMONG NATIONS

2442 It is not the role of the Pastors of the Church to intervene directly in the political structuring and organization of social life. This task is part of the vocation of the lay faithful, acting on their own initiative with their fellow citizens. Social action can assume various concrete forms. It should always have the common good in view and be in conformity with the message of the Gospel and the teaching of the Church. It is the role of the laity "to animate temporal realities with Christian commitment, by which they show that they are witnesses and agents of peace and justice.” --Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition