Griffiths 1

Austin Griffiths

Professor Perry

Faith, Religion, and Society

08 December, 2016

CST Paper

As many people are coming to realize, poverty in America is becoming more and more of

a controversial issue each day. The rate at which the rich are accruing wealth dwarfs the rate of

income increase for the other classes, pushing more and more people into the poor category by

comparison. In fact, according to Forbes, “Almost half of the world’s wealth is now owned by

just one percent of the population,” and “In the US, the wealthiest one percent captured 95

percent of post-financial crisis growth since 2009, while the bottom 90 percent became poorer.”

These statistics are troubling in that they show a nation where poverty levels are increasing while

a select few gather vast hordes of wealth. Another source, the Economic Justice for All document

by the United States Catholic Bishops, has this to say on the matter, “It is a social and moral

scandal that one of every seven Americans is poor, and we call for concerted efforts to eradicate

poverty. The fulfillment of the basic needs of the poor is of the highest priority.” As such, the

option for the poor is an extremely sensitive and important topic even today with the various

moral and pragmatic views on the topic. As such, I’d like to delve deeper into this debate from a

Catholic perspective.

The first of several important questions that should be addressed is who are the poor. In

my opinion, simply going by the income level of a person doesn’t automatically qualify or

disqualify them as being poor. My assertion (along with that of many others) is that true poverty

is the result of several variables including (but not limited to) socio-economic, mental, and
 Griffiths 2

physical circumstances. A particularly strong definition of what it means to be poor comes from

the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who say,

“The poor are those who are the most marginalized amongst us… Those who are most
vulnerable. The people who fall into this category are those who are deserving and in
need of our support and charity, not from a perspective of superiority, but from a position
of understanding and compassion between fellow human beings who should be treated
with love and respect.” (CST101: The Option for the Poor)

From this excerpt it should be apparent that there are a number of different conditions

that can determine whether a person is poor. Some common examples of different maladies that

could contribute to someone falling into the poor category are job loss coupled with the lack of a

social support system, any serious mental/physical illness or defect that prevents a person from

operating effectively in society, and/or the social pariahs who have been deprived of love from

their fellow man. The different new varieties of the poor have been addressed by the Church

already, such as in Octogesima Adveniens where it is stated,

“The Church directs her attention to those new "poor" - the handicapped and the
maladjusted, the old, different groups of those on the fringe of society, and so on - in order to
recognize them, help them; defend their place and dignity in a society hardened by competition
and the attraction of success.”

Once we’ve identified who the poor are, the obvious next step should be for us to help

them in whatever capacity we can. All Catholics should partake in these behaviors because, as

was so eloquently stated in the encyclical Mater et Magistra, “Human life is sacred—all men

must recognize that fact. From its very inception it reveals the creating hand of God.” Because of

this indisputable fact, we need to show respect and concern for the well-being of our fellow man.

Although there is no correct way to go about assisting the needy, several very reputable

religious authorities have come up with general guidelines that the average Catholic can follow

in his efforts. According to Mater et Magista, these are the steps you should take when planning

to perform any acts of charity/assistance for the needy,

 Griffiths 3

“First, one reviews the concrete situation; secondly, one forms a judgment on it in the
light of these same principles; thirdly, one decides what in the circumstances can and
should be done to implement these principles. These are the three stages that are usually
expressed in the three terms: look, judge, act.”
However, a task this monumental in scale and importance cannot be undertaken solely by

scattered, unconcentrated efforts alone. To this effect, the

“…government has an essential responsibility in this area. This does not mean that
government has the primary or exclusive role, but it does have a positive moral
responsibility in safeguarding human rights and ensuring that the minimum conditions of
human dignity are met for all. In a democracy, government is a means by which we can
act together to protect what is important to us and to promote our common values.”()

On top of these principles, there is the question of why we should care for the poor. The

answer to this question is something that all Catholics cherish in their hearts; that is God’s

unending love. God, who loves and cherishes all of creation, loves the poor and cares for their

well being just as he cares about our own. Throughout the Bible there are numerous references to

God’s love for the poor and how society should help to support and protect the poor. This quote

from Leviticus is but one of many examples that show God’s love for the poor,

"If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest
relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold… If one of your
countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you
would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you… If one of
your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him
work as a slave" (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 39).

We must accept the fact that God loves the poor and that throughout the Bible he has

commanded us to treat them with the respect and love he shows all of us. Because of this, it is

the duty of every Catholic to show concern for the poor and their plights. Jesus also expresses his

clear concern and love for the poor through his various teachings. Here is an excerpt that helps to

prove this truth,

"Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor
man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing
 Griffiths 4

fine clothes and say, 'Here's a good seat for you,' but say to the poor man, 'You stand
there' or 'Sit on the floor by my feet,' have you not discriminated among yourselves and
becomes judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those
who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He
promised those who love Him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are
exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?" (James 2:2-6)

From these things the position of God on how Catholics should interact with the poor

should be utterly apparent. It is through the example of God’s agape and how he so loves his

creation that we must learn to interact with the poor. We must show them the same compassion

and understanding that is afforded to us by our divine creator. As was excellently said in in the

encyclical Caritas in Veritate, “If we love others with charity, then … we are just towards them.”

It is in this sense that we best reflect the Lord’s will and in doing so can be the best Catholics we

can be.

Concerning the option for the poor, Catholic social teaching plays a critical role in

helping to address this issue. By better understanding God’s love, we can understand and

sympathize with the plights of the poor. Through this understanding we can provide the needy

with an effective support network that they know they can trust and rely on. For those reasons, I

believe Catholic social teaching is doing a wonderful job of addressing the issues around the

option for the poor.

 Griffiths 5

Works Cited

 CST 101: Option for the Poor. CST 101: Option for the Poor. United States Conference

of Catholic Bishops, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

 Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S.

Economy. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Catholic Conference, 1986. Usccb.org. Web. 02 Dec.

2016.

 Giuseppe Roncalli, Angelo Giuseppe. "Mater Et Magistra (May 15, 1961) | John XXIII."

Mater Et Magistra (May 15, 1961) | John XXIII. Vatican, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.

 Montini, Giovanni Battista. "Octogesima Adveniens (May 14, 1971) | Paul VI."

Octogesima Adveniens (May 14, 1971) | Paul VI. Vatican, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

 Ratzinger, Joesph Aloisius. "Caritas in Veritate." Caritas in Veritate (June 29, 2009) |

BENEDICT XVI. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

 Shin, Laura. "The 85 Richest People In The World Have As Much Wealth As The 3.5

Billion Poorest." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 23 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.

 USCCB. "Catholic Social Teaching." Catholic Social Teaching. United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.