杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

In the current week leading to the World Day of the Poor, on Sunday November 14, Catholics in England and Wales have been encouraged to pray, reflect and engage in concrete actions against poverty by deepening their encounter with the poor in their communities, as asked by 杏MAP导航 Francis.

Pray, see, judge and act against poverty

To this end, Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), the official social agency of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), and Redemptorist Publications, have produced a for parishes, schools and individuals which includes a novena of prayer for the WDP and a See-Judge-Act exercise for groups. Also available on CSAN鈥檚 website is a downloadable Collective Worship PowerPoint for use in schools and accompanying Teachers鈥� Notes, to engage young people with the issues of poverty.

Growing poverty in Britain

In his introduction to the resource, CSAN Chief Executive Raymond Friel, notes that Britain too is facing growing poverty: 鈥淚n 2019,鈥� he writes, 鈥渁ccording to a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2.4 million people in the UK, including 0.5 million children, experienced destitution at some point in the year, in other words they did not having enough to live on. The same report says that before the Coronavirus pandemic, 14.5 million people in the UK were caught up in poverty, equating to 1 in 5 people鈥�.

Impact of COVID-19

He also notes that that poverty iBritain has worsened with the COVID-19 crisis: 鈥淥ur society has been shaken by a global pandemic. Poverty which existed in our communities has been exposed and the hardest hit are those who were in poverty before the pandemic. Other types of poverty are on the increase, such as mental ill-health, domestic violence, food poverty鈥�.

Developing a culture of encounter

Reflecting on the Day of the Poor, Friel says that, as Christians, we are all called 鈥渢o follow the example of Jesus in loving God and neighbour, especially the most vulnerable鈥�. 鈥淒eveloping a culture of encounter is a key theme for 杏MAP导航 Francis and an essential counter witness to what he describes as a culture of waste and indifference, a culture that casts aside human beings who are not considered to be productive or useful鈥�, he points out.

Alleviating poverty

Referring to this year鈥檚 theme, 鈥楾he poor you will always have with you鈥� (Mark 14:7), from Jesus鈥檚 words at the Anointing in Bethany just before His Passion, Friel remarks that Jesus is not saying that we should not work to alleviate poverty: 鈥淭here will always be poverty and injustice of some kind, but we are called to reduce its impact wherever we can鈥�, he writes.

Challenging its structural causes

As 杏MAP导航 Francis points out, this entails encountering the poor, which is 鈥渕ore than just charity鈥�, it 鈥渋s genuine sharing, an establishment of community, a desire to get to know those who may have been invisible to us鈥�, Friel says. Moreover 鈥� he continues - to work for the relief of poverty is not enough: we need to 鈥渃hallenge the structural causes of poverty鈥�, as highlighted in the Encyclical Letter .

Many different forms of poverty

Friel鈥檚 reflection goes on to recall that in this year鈥檚 message for the Day, 杏MAP导航 Francis calls on the faithful to open their hearts 鈥渢o recognizing the many different forms of poverty鈥� existing today. There is material poverty, but there are also people who experience the poverty of isolation and loneliness, homelessness, modern day slavery, trafficking, relational poverty, abuse.

Deepening our encounter with the poor

The resources gathered by CSAN have been offered to the Catholic communities in England and Wales as a way of deepening their encounter with the poor, of examining their own conscience about their lifestyles and how their faith is expressed in loving action, Friel explains.

The proposed 鈥楽ee-Judge-Act鈥� exercise has been designed primarily for group use in a parish or a school to discern what actions might be taken. The novena has been offered as a way to help Catholics to prayerfully encounter in scripture God鈥檚 constant care for the poor and desire for more just relations in the community. Finally, the act of collective worship for schools in PowerPoint format has been offered as a way to engage young people with the questions of poverty, locally and globally.

Friel has also invited Catholics to find more details of the fifty charities members of CSAN engaged in different ways in tackling the causes of poverty, promoting justice and restoring dignity on CSAN鈥檚 website.

Bringing hope to a wounded world

Friel concludes his reflection with these words: 鈥淔rom its entry onto the world stage in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, the Christian community was known for its service to the poor. This sign is needed now more than ever. The world is looking for hope.鈥�