Oct 24, 2024 Written by 

Preferential option for the poor

Today more than in the past, the Church's social doctrine must be open to an international outlook, in line with the Second Vatican Council,73 the most recent Encyclicals,74 and particularly in line with the Encyclical which we are commemorating.75 It will not be superfluous therefore to reexamine and further clarify in this light the characteristic themes and guidelines dealt with by the Magisterium in recent years. 

Here I would like to indicate one of them: the option or love of preference for the poor. This is an option, or a special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity, to which the whole tradition of the Church bears witness. It affects the life of each Christian inasmuch as he or she seeks to imitate the life of Christ, but it applies equally to our social responsibilities and hence to our manner of living, and to the logical decisions to be made concerning the ownership and use of goods. 

Today, furthermore, given the worldwide dimension which the social question has assumed,76 this love of preference for the poor, and the decisions which it inspires in us, cannot but embrace the immense multitudes of the hungry, the needy, the homeless, those without medical care and, above all, those without hope of a better future. It is impossible not to take account of the existence of these realities. To ignore them would mean becoming like the "rich man" who pretended not to know the beggar Lazarus lying at his gate (cf. Lk 16:19-31).77

Our daily life as well as our decisions in the political and economic fields must be marked by these realities. Likewise the leaders of nations and the heads of international bodies, while they are obliged always to keep in mind the true human dimension as a priority in their development plans, should not forget to give precedence to the phenomenon of growing poverty. Unfortunately, instead of becoming fewer the poor are becoming more numerous, not only in less developed countries but-and this seems no less scandalous-in the more developed ones too. 

It is necessary to state once more the characteristic principle of Christian social doctrine: the goods of this world are originally meant for all.78 The right to private property is valid and necessary, but it does not nullify the value of this principle. Private property, in fact, is under a "social mortgage,"79 which means that it has an intrinsically social function, based upon and justified precisely by the principle of the universal destination of goods. Likewise, in this concern for the poor, one must not overlook that special form of poverty which consists in being deprived of fundamental human rights, in particular the right to religious freedom and also the right to freedom of economic initiative.

[Sollicitudo rei socialis n.42]

41 Last modified on Thursday, 24 October 2024 04:11
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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Jesus makes memory and remembers the whole history of the people, of his people. And he recalls the rejection of his people to the love of the Father (Pope Francis)
Gesù fa memoria e ricorda tutta la storia del popolo, del suo popolo. E ricorda il rifiuto del suo popolo all’amore del Padre (Papa Francesco)
Today, as yesterday, the Church needs you and turns to you. The Church tells you with our voice: don’t let such a fruitful alliance break! Do not refuse to put your talents at the service of divine truth! Do not close your spirit to the breath of the Holy Spirit! (Pope Paul VI)
Oggi come ieri la Chiesa ha bisogno di voi e si rivolge a voi. Essa vi dice con la nostra voce: non lasciate che si rompa un’alleanza tanto feconda! Non rifiutate di mettere il vostro talento al servizio della verità divina! Non chiudete il vostro spirito al soffio dello Spirito Santo! (Papa Paolo VI)
Sometimes we try to correct or convert a sinner by scolding him, by pointing out his mistakes and wrongful behaviour. Jesus’ attitude toward Zacchaeus shows us another way: that of showing those who err their value, the value that God continues to see in spite of everything (Pope Francis)
A volte noi cerchiamo di correggere o convertire un peccatore rimproverandolo, rinfacciandogli i suoi sbagli e il suo comportamento ingiusto. L’atteggiamento di Gesù con Zaccheo ci indica un’altra strada: quella di mostrare a chi sbaglia il suo valore, quel valore che continua a vedere malgrado tutto (Papa Francesco)
Deus dilexit mundum! God observes the depths of the human heart, which, even under the surface of sin and disorder, still possesses a wonderful richness of love; Jesus with his gaze draws it out, makes it overflow from the oppressed soul. To Jesus, therefore, nothing escapes of what is in men, of their total reality, in which good and evil are (Pope Paul VI)
Deus dilexit mundum! Iddio osserva le profondità del cuore umano, che, anche sotto la superficie del peccato e del disordine, possiede ancora una ricchezza meravigliosa di amore; Gesù col suo sguardo la trae fuori, la fa straripare dall’anima oppressa. A Gesù, dunque, nulla sfugge di quanto è negli uomini, della loro totale realtà, in cui sono il bene e il male (Papa Paolo VI)
People dragged by chaotic thrusts can also be wrong, but the man of Faith perceives external turmoil as opportunities
Un popolo trascinato da spinte caotiche può anche sbagliare, ma l’uomo di Fede percepisce gli scompigli esterni quali opportunità
O Lord, let my faith be full, without reservations, and let penetrate into my thought, in my way of judging divine things and human things (Pope Paul VI)
O Signore, fa’ che la mia fede sia piena, senza riserve, e che essa penetri nel mio pensiero, nel mio modo di giudicare le cose divine e le cose umane (Papa Paolo VI)
«Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it; but he who loses will keep it alive» (Lk 17:33)
«Chi cercherà di conservare la sua vita, la perderà; ma chi perderà, la manterrà vivente» (Lc 17,33)
«And therefore, it is rightly stated that he [st Francis of Assisi] is symbolized in the figure of the angel who rises from the east and bears within him the seal of the living God» (FS 1022)
«E perciò, si afferma, a buon diritto, che egli [s. Francesco d’Assisi] viene simboleggiato nella figura dell’angelo che sale dall’oriente e porta in sé il sigillo del Dio vivo» (FF 1022)

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