Pope Francis grabbed headlines recently when he announced that Rome had lifted the block on sainthood for Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was shot dead while saying Mass in 1980. But much less attention was given to another of the pope’s actions, one that underscores a significant shift inside the Vatican under the Read more
“I looked up at the great basilica, and I had two reactions: First, I appreciated its beauty and reverence; but then I thought, ‘What corruption caused someone to spend so much on this building when people are hungry’?” I made a new friend on the train this week. Mark described himself as a Christian but Read more
I was working on a standard-of-living case and was shown figures prepared by an approved budget advisory service for Meg and her daughter Stacey (I have simplified some detail and changed their names). Meg’s chronic health condition ruled out paid employment, so she was on a benefit. The budget recorded the family’s 2012 weekly income Read more
197. God’s heart has a special place for the poor, so much so that he himself “became poor” (2 Cor 8:9). The entire history of our redemption is marked by the presence of the poor. Salvation came to us from the “yes” uttered by a lowly maiden from a small town on the fringes of Read more
186. Our faith in Christ, who became poor, and was always close to the poor and the outcast, is the basis of our concern for the integral development of society’s most neglected members. In union with God, we hear a plea 187. Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of Read more
Money lenders are offering lavish gifts and prizes to entice people into taking out high-interest loans for Christmas. Companies with interest rates of up to 43 per cent are being accused of “targeting the vulnerable” in Auckland’s lower socio-economic groups. Finance Now mailouts offer customers the chance to “enjoy a special surprise this Christmas”. If Read more
Pope Francis delivered a Christmas message this week calling on the faithful to serve the less fortunate around the world. The pope told the faithful not to place themselves above others, but rather lower themselves and place themselves at the service of the poor. “It is an ugly thing when one sees a Christian who does not Read more
It’s like a dream or a movie. In less than a year, Pope Francis has transformed the dominant discourse around Catholicism from scandal and despair to joy and the evangelical demands in light of poverty and economic exclusion. “Each individual Christian and every community,” he wrote in Evangelii Gaudium last week, “is called to be an instrument Read more
I’m ashamed to say that I almost never interact with poor people. I like to think that I care, that I humanise the issue in my mind, that I don’t ignore it like so many do. But the truth is I am guilty of not caring — of failing to be touched by the humanity Read more
Pope Francis said disused church buildings should be used to house refugees, who must be embraced rather than feared. The pontiff visited asylum seekers in Rome on Tuesday, underlining his papacy’s emphasis on the poor and the plight of immigrants. Turning convents and monasteries that have emptied due to a drop in vocations into hotels Read more