Editor’s Note: The following unsigned editorial first appeared in the Aug. 11 issue of the Tennessee Register, diocesan newspaper of Nashville. It is provided here through Catholic News Service.
The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation recently sponsored a poll to find out what Americans think are the reasons for poverty. The results split along religious lines in a surprising way.
Christians were much more likely than non-Christians to believe that the reason a person is poor is a lack of effort on their part rather than because of difficult circumstances beyond their control. And among Catholics polled, 50 percent blamed lack of effort while 45 percent blamed circumstances.
Those numbers seem out of tune with Christ’s message that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” If we accept the notion that the only barrier keeping people in poverty is a lack of effort, it can be too easy to turn our back on our call as followers of Christ who came to us “to bring glad tidings to the poor” and abandon those in poverty. It would clash with the gospel message to conclude that the poor got themselves into this mess, so they can get themselves out.
Christ and his Church are calling us constantly to care for the poor, to have a preferential option for the poor. That is at the core of Catholic social teaching.
To love one another, we must understand one another.
We all recognize that a good education can be a ladder out of poverty. And we also recognize that too often the poorest performing schools are in poor neighborhoods, where many resources are unavailable to the families they serve.
It’s no secret that one of the best anti-poverty programs is growing up in a family headed by two parents in a committed relationship. But as our culture continues to undervalue the family and its contributions to a healthy and stable society, we see too many single parents trapped in poverty.
A health crisis can send a family spiraling into poverty, overwhelmed by the cost of caring for a loved one.
The Church is at work in every corner of the globe, to help alleviate the conditions that breed poverty by giving people the tools to change their lives. Our schools, our parishes, our ministries are also at the peripheries, as Pope Francis has urged us, to help those in need.
Each of us an invaluable member of the human family and a child of God. When we show our love for the poor, we show the love of Jesus Christ. For in Christ’s love, all people can find hope, which is the greatest tool to help people out of poverty.
The views or positions presented in this or any guest editorial are those of the individual publication and do not necessarily represent the views of Catholic News Service or of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
To learn more about ways that Catholic social service agencies in the Diocese of Trenton are helping the poor, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/catholic-social-services.