Ni
Grace Jimenez
"The
poor are the privileged recipients of the Gospel." (Pope Benedict
XVl)
This
statement by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVl confirms the Catholic Church's great
concern for the population burdened by poverty, injustice, disease, and
wretchedness. Unabashedly pro-poor, the Church reaches out to the least, the
lost, and the last. Since the ministry of Jesus during His earthly life, the
poor have always been His priority. He
fed the hungry, healed the sick, forgave and gave hope to prostitutes and
thieves. He admonished His apostles and
disciples to love one another especially the poor. He incurred the ire of the Jewish authorities
when He exposed the hypocrisy of those who boasted of their adherence to God's
laws but were in fact insensitive to the plight of the poor. Instead of enjoying the company of the rich,
Jesus sought out the poor and served them. He comforted them and assured them of His
Father's love and mercy.
But
the Church is not only concerned with those who are poor in material
possessions and comforts. It is
just as concerned with those who are morally deprived; those who have set
aside or have allowed their moral values to be compromised because of their
needs. The Catholic Church does not
condemn or judge them but leads them back to decency and uprightness through
its various programs and outreach activities. The Church nevertheless is calling out to all
its members, the religious and laity to work hand in hand in uplifting the and
alleviating the condition of the poor.
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Ang larawan ay kuha ni Art Barbadillo
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