Catholic Church Poverty

The Catholic Church has responded to the significant struggle of poverty by contributing to the attainment of the common good in modern times so as to fulfill their mission of caring for the poor and allowing for the dignity of the human person to be upheld. This social challenge troubled them in this modern day and age and so is an alarming form of injustice in people’s wellbeing that is needed to be understood. “The most challenging, pervasive and explosive problem of this century is that poverty exists everywhere” (Catholics Online) By the time the Church called the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) to update their teachings and socially reform, the issue was widespread with many people already being tormented by the plague of hunger and …show more content…
The confronting experiences of poverty have been affecting the aspects of a faith tradition and what is meant to be a true adherent of God, protecting the poor. In terms of the beliefs, many of the poor would subsequently question the existence of God in their lives and what he has planned for them. This may lead to them not having the spirit or virtue of patience to follow a religion, causing beliefs to fall and make an impact on the spiritual experiences in the Church like the sincerity of prayer and reconciliation. Consequently, because of the majority of people suffering in the world because of not having simple necessities, this may lead a fracture in the social structure of the Church’s authority. Ultimately, the body of the Church was challenged to express their love for the poor and to be able to give to those people everywhere in need. "The Church's love for the poor . . . is a part of [its] constant tradition." (CCC 2444) This love is essential and was inspired by the Gospel of the Beatitudes; the sacred text regarding the poverty of Christ and his concern for the poor. All these factors combined and amounted to a significant challenge of modernity and of the constant devotion to the poor for the Church prior to Vatican …show more content…
Relating to the Vatican II and thereafter, The Church aimed to improve the world by looking to promoting the unity of all Christians in order to have an increased sense of God and solidarity to successfully help others. ‘Christians are called to come together so that they make a fundamental ‘option for the poor’ – to speak for the voiceless, to defend the defenceless, to rebuild the strength of the weak and to give them life...’ (1996, Economic Justice Pastoral Letter 16) Additionally, the Church put a goal forward, which was to improve the living conditions for all and to share the immense resources out to the hands of humanity. ‘There is an urgent need to explore, with the full and intense cooperation of all.. ways whereby the human necessities of food and a suitable education can be furnished and shared with the entire human community.’ (Gaudium Et Spes 87) This, in turn, lead to the Catholic Social Teaching delivering a vision for the whole of society that would alleviate poverty for establishment of a better social order and by a fairer system for the distribution of land, clothing and food needs. They practiced this vision by continuing societies like St Vincent De Paul and Caritas, that were dedicated to tackling the poor and giving all a helping hand, in weary times. Other