By Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ & Director, CREDI
On Sunday 18th November, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Catholic Church will observe the 2nd World Day of the Poor – an annual observance established by Pope Francis in November 2016, at the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Two key social justice principles are: the dignity of the human person and the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable.
Archbishop Jason Gordon reminds us in his 18 November Catholic News column that the aim of World Day of the Poor is “to keep the plight of the poor before the eyes of the Universal Church. We must become mercy…Poverty is not only on the level of the individual. It is also about the structures of society that keep the poor, poor and the rich, rich…The scandal of poverty is our indifference and failure to listen to the cry. If we listen, if we hear, we will act; then God uses our hands and feet to achieve his purpose…
“In each parish we should know the poor who live within our geographical boundaries. The elderly who cannot help themselves, the struggling families, the homeless, refugees, flood victims who are yet to recover, the farmers who lost everything twice this year. We must hear, answer and free them from their poverty. ” Faith alone is not sufficient to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We will be judged also by our actions. Remember the story of the Last Judgment (Matt 25:35–40).
He rightly outlines action that we must take to promote what Pope Paul VI called authentic integral human development – which is the development of each person and of every dimension of the person. Here in T&T we are still working with outdated 2005 statistics which stated then that 16.7% of our people (more than 210,000 persons) live below the poverty line ($665 per person per month).We need up to date data so that we can develop evidence-based policies; target our limited resources effectively; develop appropriate poverty reduction programmes; implement these and monitor and evaluate their effectiveness.
Access to food, a basic human right, remains a daily challenge for many. Look around; many lack basic amenities. Many are trapped in poverty for generations; some are just willing to accept work in make-work programmes or have become dependent on handouts. Yet others are mentally challenged and live on the margins of society, searching the rubbish bins along our roadways seeking morsels of food. The measure of any society is how we treat the poor, the weak and the vulnerable. You and I can accelerate the reduction of poverty in our land/world. Integral human development is everybody’s business.
Do you know the level of poverty in your parish and understand the effects of poverty on the lives of the thousands who live in poverty in T&T?
Do you have a parish ministry that seeks to empower/transform the lives of those living in poverty? Our faith calls us to promote the dignity of each human person. You and I can make a difference.
