Catholic teaching in action
What does this mean in practice?
The CatholicA group of Christians who accept the Pope in Rome as their leader. Church teaches that Catholics should act with compassion to those in need. The belief is that life is sacredHoly, related to God. Connected to a religious purpose. and that God loves every human being. Christians apply these beliefs to the question of wealth and poverty in different ways.
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church is often criticised for its wealth when so many people live in absolute povertyA state in which someone is poor, either relatively or absolutely.. The Church owns valuable property and art. Some argue that it should give more of its wealth away to those in need. However, some Catholics argue that the BibleThe holy book of Christians split into two sections: Old Testament and New Testament. teaches that there is nothing wrong with wealth in itself. It is greed that is wrong.
The Catholic Church teaches that people who live in poverty represent those who are marginalisedTreating someone as if they are not important. in society. Jesus himself taught the importance of helping those who live in poverty and need help. The Church also teaches about the 'preferential option for the poor', that in order to improve life for people who live in poverty, we should speak for the voiceless and defend the defenceless. The Catholic Church was an open supporter, amongst many churches, of Jubilee YearThe name given to the Year 2000, when it was hoped that third world debt would be cancelled..
Liberation TheologyChristian movement set up to solve social issues such as poverty and injustice. is a movement within the Catholic Church. It began in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s, in response to poverty in Brazilian society. It is based on the teaching of loving one's neighbour. Catholics working in this movement focus on helping those who live in poverty. They believe that poverty is the single most important issue faced by people in today's world as poverty leads to all sorts of disadvantages to do with health, education and participation in society.