In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment ( Mt 25:31-46 ) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Love for the poor is incompatible with immoderate love of riches or their selfish use. Encourage students to think back to the Caritas ‘preferential option for the poor’ film and their response to the state of the world tiles demonstration. Catechism of the Catholic Church: 2445. Catholic Social Teaching on Poverty, an Option for the Poor, and the Common Good The Catholic Church has a well-documented tradition on pursuit of the common good and care for “the least of these” (Mt. Preferential option for the poor. Part of the preferential option means helping the poor to become part of the society through education and training. The preferential option for the poor is a “special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity,” says Pope John Paul II in his 1987 encyclical Solicitudo Rei Socialis. Jesus taught that on the Day of Judgement God will ask what each of us did to help the poor and needy: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." And it also encourages us to plan the treatment of viruses by … And it also encourages us to plan the treatment of … Father Jerry J. Pokorsky is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington. Through our words, prayers and deeds we must show solidarity with, and compassion for, the poor. Pope Leo also presented the decidedly Catholic principle of preferential option for the poor. In 1991, Pope John Paul II used the term, and elaborated on the concept in his encyclical Centesimus Annus. It is from this idea that all people have inherent dignity that the themes of ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’ and ‘Authentic Human Development’ develop within Catholic Social Teaching. We have since had many other teachings right up to Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, ‘On the Care of our Common Home’. I have treated the first topic elsewhere,2 providing the background for what I shall say here regarding the second topic. Collectively, the Church has developed these teachings into a rich body of doctrine called Catholic Social Teaching. As such, each Christian must make a choice to lift up the poor … This essay examines Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’ from a Latin American perspective and its reception in this part of the world, especially in Brazil. @JohnCavadini In the gospels, the poor encounter the revelation that their lives have meaning and value. ... a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters. A Christian who hopes to follow the teachings of Jesus needs to reckon with a singular fact about American poverty: Its deepest and most debilitating deficits are moral, not financial; the most serious deprivations are cultural, not economic. Development and Peace is the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada and the Canadian member of Caritas Internationalis.. 1425 René-Lévesque Blvd West, 3rd Floor Montréal, Québec Canada, H3G 1T7 Telephone: 514 257-8711 | Fax: 514 257-8497 Toll Free: 1 888 234-8533 E-Mail: info@devp.org | Web: www.devp.org Charity Number: 1 1882 9902 RR 0001 Years 9-10 In groups, students investigate Scripture and Church teaching references to the concern for the poor. @JohnCavadini The preferential option for the poor is the preferential option for human dignity. Pope John Paul II, in his 1987 encyclical On Social Concern, advanced the consistent theme of preferential care for the poor to include a global dimension. This is a term which is associated with liberation theology; it was formulated by the Latin American bishops during a … 25).This resource includes elements of Catholic teaching that highlight this tradition. It focuses on two aspects of Laudato si’: its dialogical approach, and the connection it makes between ecological issues and poverty. ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF ... so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. The poor and vulnerable have a special place in the kingdom of God. In both cases Bernard … Therefore, the preferential option for the poor is not optional. The preferential option for the poor, this ethical-social need that comes from God’s love (cf. The emphasis in this document concerning the physical suffering of the poor because of the lack of care for the environment stands out on every page. The option for the poor didn't remain in the liberation theology camp, however. In addition, this essay explains how Latin American theology and pastoral experience are present in Pope Francis’s thought. LS, 158), inspires us to conceive of and design an economy where people, and especially the poorest, are at the centre. Though the term “Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable” is widely used in Catholic teaching, at Catholic Charities of Acadiana we work towards using people first language. Giving preferential option for the poor means we should feel the need to think first of the needs of those who are most vulnerable. It also means crafting economic policies that provide sufficient job opportunities and easy legal means to starting new businesses so that more people have access to economic action. #HumanDignity2016 — Jessica Keating (@jessfkeating) April 5, 2016. A preferential option for the poor - Theological Reflection As believers and followers of Jesus, the Incarnate Word, we are naturally led to share the good news of the gospel. In addition, this essay explains how Latin American theology and pastoral experience are present in Pope Francis’s thought. This presence requires the Church to make a preferential option for those who are poor and vulnerable. The encyclical emphasises relationships, including the rights and duties of individuals, relationships between individuals and the state, relationships between states, and the need for global oversight of developments. The preferential option for the poor is a “special form of primacy in the exercise of Christian charity,” says Pope John Paul II in his 1987 encyclical Solicitudo Rei Socialis. Helping the poor was illusory. Laudato Si’ has justifiably gotten a lot of attention. The “preferential option for the poor” effectively became the preferential option for government bureaucracies. Pat Griffin in his series Considering Consecrated Life. 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