-Holy Benevolence: The poor and the American Catholic church...

-Sat, Nov 05 2005

-ESLaPorte

-http://www.christian-democrat.net/commentary/index.htm - -While poverty in America has been blown out of the shadows in the storm of -Hurricane Katrina (long overdue), what also needs to be discussed is the -treatment of American poverty and its victims by the Roman Catholic Church -of America. The "system" here in America is one of well-off Catholics, -having attended expensive Catholic colleges and these well-off Catholics are -full, acceptable members of the Roman Catholic Church of America. There is -the hidden existence of the notion that "poverty does not exist in the -American Catholic Church." This notion on the part of the American Catholic -Church mirrors the denial that American society has toward American poverty. -But here in America, this appears to be the attitude for not only well-off -Catholics, but the American Catholic Church generally. First, there is -assumption that every person joining a Catholic church is able to give money -to the parish. What matters to most American Catholic parishes is how much -money one can give, and "giving to the church" is defined as giving money -almost exclusively. There is an almost constant pressure "to give" and at my -parish there is a demand to disclose income and tax information to make sure -that one is "giving the right amount!" The assumption and mentality here is -that "you cannot possibly be poor, as there are no poor Catholics!" This -notion on the part of the American Catholic Church mirrors the denial that -larger American society has toward the tragic myth that "poverty does not -exist in America." - -Also let me state that I have met fellow Catholics who are poor and attend -poorer parishes because they do not face the constant pressure to give money -they simply do not have. - -Now, while the American Protestant- Evangicals treat poverty as if it the -product of individual shortcomings and moral problems, the American Catholic -church both denies that American Catholics are poor and that the poor that -do exist do so for the "holy benevolence acts" that well-off Catholics have -as their easy source of indulgences. This "holy benevolence" is expressed -when the well-off Catholics give their alms or volunteer to help at a local -soup kitchen. After their "acts of holy benevolence" the well-off Catholics -then return to their nice homes to count their indulgences - and the poor -return to their situation of human misery. "Holy benevolence" serves the -well-off Catholics more than the poor, who are just objects for "holy acts" -of the well-off Catholics. - -The poor do not exist so that well-off Catholics can earn indulgences to buy -their way out of the fires of Purgatory. Catholic social teaching, which -forms the old backbone of Christian Democratic parties, instructs us to -actually make efforts to lift the poor out of poverty. Poverty and -unemployment are destructive to humanity and human dignity. To treat the -poor as if they are just objects for well-off Catholics' "holy benevolence" -is a horrible sin. It is a crime, as well as a sin, to deprive the poor -person of his personal development and human potential. Most especially, to -"help the poor" only for personal, purely psychological needs and denying -the poor real help up and out of poverty is a sin for which there is no -valid excuse. - -The American Catholic Church needs to confront the hypocrisies and expel the -notions that there are "no poor Catholics" and the notion that "the poor -exist only for acts of holy benevolence." The Church should play an active -role in lifting poor people out of poverty. This first means shutting out -American society's un-Christian notions that "there are no poor in America" -and "we must not give someone something for nothing." Being a giving -Catholic Christian in the manner of Catholic social teaching requires that -we not only give the poor something for nothing, but we must keep giving -them something for nothing until they can get what they need for themselves. -The poor are entitled to their fair share of Earth's resources, which God -has generously given to humanity. The poor are also entitled to development -to their full human potential and not be treated as only objects for -well-off Catholics' "holy benevolence." Too bad that you may have to spend -more time in the fires of Purgatory! Perhaps you should!!! - - ESL