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MIRROR RWANDA: Sister Cécire caring for the poor.

DOING GOD’S WORK

CARING FOR THE POOR

MIRROR GIVE JOY, GIVE HOPE

CONTENTS PAGE The Poverty of the Soul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Michael Kinsella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Widow’s Might . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Martin Bartha.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 At the Heart of Catholic Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Pope Francis on the True Meaning of Poverty. . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Samuel Gregg

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Fighting Poverty in a Globalised World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope Benedict XVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Church of Hope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope Benedict XVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Authentic Christian Charity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope Francis.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sharing our Values, Living our Faith.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Middle East. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Beacon of Humanity.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Real Development and the Worst Poverty.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pope Benedict XVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bringing the Wealth of Christ’s Love to the World .. . . . . Michele Chronister. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Making Christ Visible in the World .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senegal, Honduras. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Enlarging His Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 A Great Deal Is Being Done. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The ‘Widow’s Mite’ is Mighty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Heine-Geldern. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

‘To Fight Poverty is To Build Peace.’

Editor: Jürgen Liminski. Publisher: ACN International, Postfach 1209, 61452 Königstein, Germany.

De licentia competentis auctoritatis ecclesiasticae. Printed in Ireland - ISSN 0252-2535. www.acn-intl.org

CARING FOR THE POOR

THE POVERTY OF THE SOUL

So it is that in order to really grasp the essentiality of the Church’s Mission to the Poor we have to

Dear Friends,

probe the depths of our own heart,

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acknowledge our own dependence upon God’s Grace.

aring for the Poor lies at the very Heart of the Catholic Church’s Mission to the World. Caring for the Poor also lies at the very heart of the World Bank Group’s Mission1.

Indeed Caring for the Poor lies at the missionary heart of any number of public and private enterprises and charitable agencies around the World, not all of which are Catholic, not all of which are Christian and not all of which are Religious.

So what makes the Catholic Church’s Mission of Caring for the Poor any more vital, any more essential and any more effective than any other of the world’s great and noble Charitable enterprises?

This is the question which we explore in this edition of the MIRROR. Now in undertaking this exploration while we are able to articulate of what makes the Catholic Church’s Care of the Poor unique, necessary and effective we are not be able to tell the whole story.

For the truth is that the Church’s Mission to the Poor of the World can never be fully charted by or contained within mere words or images because ultimately it transcends words.

1 The stated mission of the World Bank Group is to ‘end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity’.

Cf. https://www.worldbank.org/en/who-we-are.

“Our Dream is a World Free of Poverty.” Cf. https://www.worldbank. org/en/topic/poverty/overview

realise the extent our own poverty and

The Catholic Church uniquely brings the fullness of God’s Love, His Grace, to the Poor of the World.

In fact only Christ’s Church fully responds to Humanity’s deepest poverty: the Poverty of the Soul.

As a consequence, it is Aid to the Church in Need’s great privilege to be fully engaged at the Heart of the Church, caring for the Poor of the World.

Each day in communion with our project partners in over 140 countries around the World we strive to manifest to the World, God’s Grace, His Love for the Poor and the deepest Truth about our God-given Humanity.

Dear friends, God wants us to be His loving Hands in caring for the Poor and in addressing the deepest of all Humanity’s Poverties.

That Poverty which other great and noble Charities don’t see, can’t acknowledge and don’t address: the Poverty of the Soul.

In Christ,

Dr. Michael Kinsella

DIRECTOR, ACN IRELAND

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DOING GOD’S WORK

THE WIDOW’S MIGHT Dear Friends,

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t is not easy for us to talk about money, especially in the Church, which is so often attacked over this very topic. Yet money enables much to be achieved. The practical business of living costs money.

Caring for the Poor costs money and that is why Catholic Charities such as ours are required to run ongoing appeals for donations and it has been that way since the time of the Apostles. Indeed the Apostles themselves had a common purse and Jesus Himself spoke about the correct way to deal with money.

We recall from Scripture how once Jesus watched as people put money in the Temple offerings box (Mk 12:41-44). Many rich people gave large sums, while a poor widow threw in

just two small coins: all the poor woman had to live on. And it was precisely this ‘Widow’s Mite’ that Jesus held up to His disciples to show where the true value of the Gospel lies.

The poor widow had given all she had and her ‘little’ was worth more in the sight of God than all the rest.

Thank God there are many good people who are willing to give generously for a good cause. Many others however only give what they have to spare, others because they want to look good and still others to ease a troubled conscience. God alone knows our true motives.

His gaze alone can assess the true value of our giving. However it is precisely in this paltry sum of two copper coins that God shows us the true Attitude of Heart He expects from all of His children.

The poor widow gives away the last resources she has to rely on and entrusts herself totally to God.2 For ‘whoever would save his life will lose it’.3 All that matters to God is our commitment and our giving in a manner that transcends the logic of human calculation.

BRAZIL: Sr. Maria caring for the Poorest.

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2 This is the Widow’s MIGHT. 3 Mk 8:35

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The widow puts her last remaining coins in the temple collection box. This money was intended for the maintenance and improvement of this great Jewish sanctuary. After the fire in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, many ‘big business’ companies and superrich individuals promised many millions for the rebuilding of this piece of ‘world cultural heritage’. Billionaires outdid each other in offering donations. God alone can and will judge their motives.

Undoubtedly of course we need great symbols and cultural monuments, but more than that we need houses, homes and hearts, places in which God can dwell, be welcomed and glorified.

The purpose of all ACN’s works and gifting is and must always be that of building up the House of God, the community of the Church.

This is a community always in need of repair, with its diminished fervour, widespread

loss of faith, intellectual pride, inadequate resources. Yet it is truly worth funding so that the House of God may become truly beautiful and the Poor of the World will find their true home within it.

Jesus held back nothing for Himself. He threw everything into the divine offering box of the Eucharist. It is this Sacrament of Love that is the true sustenance of the Church. How much am I willing to give for the House of God, the community of the Church and Her Mission in the world? The Church is ever in need of the Widow’s mite/might and her inspiration.

My grateful blessing on you all

Father Martin M. Barta ACN ECCLESIASTICAL ASSISTANT

SYRIA: Caring for abandoned widows.

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AT THE HEART OF CATHOLIC LIFE4

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are for the poor lies at the heart of the Catholic Church. In Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI said three things make the Church the Church: Proclaiming the Gospel, Celebrating the Sacraments and Caring for the Poor.

Love of the Poor is an essential and defining activity of the Church. Benedict declares, ‘ Love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind is as essential to Her [the Church] as the ministry of the Sacraments and Preaching of the Gospel. The Church cannot neglect the service of Charity anymore than She can neglect the Sacraments and the Word’. 5

This emphatic call is an extension of the great commandment to love our neighbour. In fact, Pope Benedict insists: ‘ Love of God and love of neighbour have become one: In the least of the brethren we find Jesus himself, and in Jesus we find God’. 6 And, our neighbour is anyone… who needs our help and whom we can help.7

In this encyclical, the Pope states that today loving our neighbour has global dimensions since we see and respond to people’s struggles and needs almost instantaneously.8 Pope Benedict XVI expressed in Deus Caritas Est, that this duty to love the Poor should be expressed in generous responses to immediate and specific needs. The Holy Father also points out that ‘ Charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as social charity’. 9 Benedict said: ‘The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible.

She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet, at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the side-lines in the fight for Justice’. 10 The Church contributes to the search for Justice through offering: Her Moral Principles ‘Rational Argument and… the Spiritual Energy without which justice… cannot prevail and proper’. 11

4 Adapted and edited from an original article by Kathy Saile ‘Benedict XVI’s Plea: Put the Poor at the Heart of Catholic Life’ March 25, 2008 accessible at: https://usccb.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/benedict-xvi%E2%80%99s-plea-put-the-poor-at-the-heart-of-catholic-life/ 5 Pope Benedict XVI Deus Caritas Est n.22. 6 Ibid. n.15 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid, n.30 9 Ibid. n.29 10 Ibid. 11 Ibid. n.28

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POPE FRANCIS ON THE TRUE MEANING OF POVERTY

‘H

ow I long for a poor Church for the Poor!’ with these words spoken after being elected Pope, Pope Francis underscored a theme that continues to be front-and-centre of his papacy. Not surprisingly, many have concluded such statements demonstrate that Pope Francis wants Catholics to devote greater attention to poverty-alleviation. In one sense, this is true. Yet it’s also an interpretation that misses the deeper meaning Francis attaches to Poverty.

For Christians, indifference in the face of such Poverty is not optional. But Francis’s conception of Poverty and the Poor goes far beyond conventional secular understandings of these subjects. ‘ For… Christians, Poverty is not a sociological, philosophical or cultural category… it is a theological category. I would say, perhaps the first category, because God, the Son of God, abased Himself, made Himself poor to walk with us on the road. And this is our poverty: the poverty of the flesh of Christ, the poverty that the Son of God brought us with His Incarnation.

A poor Church for the Poor begins by going to the Flesh of Christ. If we go to the Flesh of Christ, we begin to understand something, to understand what this poverty is, the Poverty of the Lord.’ 13

SAMUEL GREGG12

In a word, it’s about Humility. Further illumination comes from recalling that the Greek word used in Matthew’s Gospel (5:3) to describe the ‘poor in spirit’ means being reduced to a beggar. Hence the poor in spirit are those of us who recognise our sins and beg Christ to save us.

This is central to what it means to be a poor Church. A humble Church isn’t a timid, hand wringing congregation that compromises the Faith. Rather it’s a Church that consists of people who freely submit to Christ as the only One who can save us.

12 Samuel Gregg PhD is director of research at the Acton Institute wellpublished author in Ethics and Moral Philosophy. “Pope Francis on the True Meaning of Poverty.” Crisis Magazine (June 19, 2013).

13 Pope Francis see: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/ speeches/2013/may/documents/papa-francesco_20130518_vegliapentecoste.html

TANZANIA: Forming the Future.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

Similar insights emerge from reflection upon the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. In his biography of the Saint, for example, Augustine Thompson OP observes that Francis’s famous conversation with Sultan al-Kamil of Egypt wasn’t motivated by something like anti-war activism. For Francis, the purpose of the exercise was to convert the Sultan to Christianity.

Likewise Thompson demonstrates Saint Francis’s impatience with liturgical sloppiness, his ‘absolute lack of any program of legal or social reforms,’ his capacity to distinguish between absolute and relative poverty, the absence of any ‘hint of pantheism’ in his view of nature, and that ‘the last thing Saint Francis wanted was for his order to become a group of social workers.’

Saint Francis, Thompson adds, was ‘fiercely orthodox’ and that ‘for Francis, obedience to God and the Church, by which he meant the hierarchy, was absolute.’

God, and obedience to the Gospel proclaimed

by Christ’s Church. In that sense, Francis’s ideas about Poverty, Thompson notes elsewhere, ‘are not political.’ They are essentially about attaining the Spiritual Wealth found in embracing Christ.

So what does all this tell us about how Catholics should think about Poverty?

In the first place, it’s clear political activism shouldn’t be what first leaps to mind when considering poverty-alleviation. It is not coincidental that Pope Francis insisted in his Pentecost Vigil remarks that ‘ The Church is not a political movement, or a well-organised structure... We’re not an NGO, and when the Church becomes an NGO She loses salt, has no flavour, is only an empty organisation.’ 14

Thompson notes that the Saint wrote relatively little about Poverty, and when he did, it was generally ‘not linked to giving up property, simplicity of life, or living only for the day.’ Rather it was primarily with reference to the fact that the Second Person of the Trinity humbled Himself by taking on human form in the Incarnation and sacrificed Himself for mankind by dying on the Cross.

Thus, as Thompson presents it, Saint Francis’s conception of Poverty was overwhelmingly about ‘renunciation of one’s own will,’ service of 14 Pentecost Vigil remarks.

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SYRIA: Rebuilding my school.

CARING FOR THE POOR

Certainly Francis’s calls for more state intervention vis-à-vis the global financial crisis underscore his conviction that there is a political dimension to reducing material Poverty.

Yet his pre-pontifical writings indicate that Francis isn’t naïve about this. Back in 2001, the then Cardinal Bergoglio wrote in a small publication entitled Hambre y sed de justicia, that: ‘ There are Argentines facing poverty and exclusion, and who we must treat as subjects and actors of their own destiny, and not as patronised recipients of welfare doled out by the State or civil society.’

But above all, Francis wants Catholics to bring a distinctly Christian dimension to Poverty issues. In his Pentecost Vigil remarks, he stressed that our primary concern cannot be effectiveness and efficiency. ‘It is one thing to preach Jesus,’ Francis told his listeners, ‘and another to be efficient.’

Obviously Christians are not excused from thinking (rather than simply emoting) about and debating the ‘hows’ of poverty-alleviation and working to reduce it. There are requirements of Justice. Francis’s point, however, is that if we only consider what he calls ‘worldly effectiveness,’ we risk forgetting Christian Love.

Michael Asks Who is the poorest person you know?

When did you last see him/her?

When did you last pray for this unfortunate soul?

In developing this argument, Francis posed two questions to his audience: ‘Tell me, when you give alms do you look into the eyes of the man or woman to whom you give alms?...

And when you give alms, do you touch the hand of the one to whom you give alms, or do you toss the coin?’

Three things come to mind here. One is how many times we have all failed this test.

The second is Saint Theresa of Kolkata.

There was nothing ‘efficient’ about her decision to care for some of the world’s most destitute people. During her lifetime, she was criticised for not being more politically-active with regard to poverty-alleviation.

But her work wasn’t about politics. It was about something that dwarfs politics: the bringing of Christ’s Love to those in whom Christ Himself told us we would see His face.

And herein lies the third point, which Benedict XVI dwelt on in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. Though this encyclical emphasised the demands of justice, Benedict stressed there is something of which every suffering person has even greater need: ‘loving personal concern.’

For Pope Francis, his predecessor, and for Saint Theresa, our response to Poverty must above all be one that makes real the mercy that’s central to the Gospel.

The Catholic understanding of Poverty is that it’s Divine Mercy that truly saves us.

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FIGHTING POVERTY IN A GLOBALISED WORLD 15

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ighting Poverty requires an understanding of Poverty that is wide-ranging and well-articulated. If it were simply a question of Material Poverty alone, then the Social Sciences, which enable us to measure phenomena on the basis of mainly quantitative data, would be sufficient to illustrate its principal characteristics.

Yet we know that other, Non-Material Forms of Poverty exist which are not the direct and automatic consequence of material deprivation. On the one hand, I have in mind what is known as ‘Moral Under-Development’, 16 and on the other hand the negative consequences of ‘Super-Development’.17 Nor can I forget that, in so-called ‘poor’ societies, economic growth is often hampered by

cultural impediments which lead to inefficient use of available resources.

It remains true, however, that every form of externally imposed poverty has at its root a lack of respect for the transcendent dignity of the human person. When man is not considered within the total context of his vocation, and when the demands of a true ‘human ecology’ 18 are not respected, the cruel forces of Poverty are unleashed, as is evident in certain specific areas that I shall now consider briefly.

Poverty is often considered a consequence of demographic change. For this reason, there are international campaigns afoot to reduce birth-rates, sometimes using methods that respect neither the dignity of the woman, nor the right of parents to choose responsibly how many children to have;19 graver still, these methods often fail to respect even the right to life.

The extermination of millions of unborn children, in the name of the fight against Poverty, actually constitutes the destruction of the poorest of all human beings.

SOUTH SUDAN: Caring for all God’s Children.

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15 Adapted and edited from Benedict XVI Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace 2009. Original can be read in full at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/messages/peace/ documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20081208_xlii-world-day-peace.html 16 Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 19.

17 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 28.

18 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 38.

19 Cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 37; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 25.

CARING FOR THE POOR

And yet it remains the case that in 1981, around 40% of the world’s population was below the threshold of absolute poverty, while today that percentage has been reduced by as much as a half20, and whole peoples have escaped from poverty despite experiencing substantial demographic growth. This goes to show that resources to solve the Problem of Poverty do exist, even in the face of an increasing population.

Nor must it be forgotten that, since the end of the Second World War, the world’s population has grown by four billion, largely because of certain countries that have recently emerged on the international scene as new economic powers have experienced rapid development specifically because of the large number of their inhabitants.

20 The World Bank estimates that In 1990 the Global level of Extreme Poverty at 36%. 25 years later, that is in 2015, it put the level of worldwide Extreme Poverty (less than $1.90 per day to live on) at 10%.

Moreover, among the most developed nations, those with higher birth-rates enjoy better opportunities for development. In other words, population is proving to be an asset, not a factor that contributes to poverty.

Another area of concern has to do with pandemic diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS. Insofar as they affect the wealth-producing sectors of the population, they are a significant factor in the overall deterioration of conditions in the country concerned. Efforts to rein in the consequences of these diseases on the population do not always achieve significant results.

It also happens that countries afflicted by some of these pandemics find themselves held hostage, when they try to address them, by those who make economic aid conditional upon the implementation of anti-life policies.

KENYA: Sr. Florence cares for an elderly Turkana woman in St.Patrick’s dispensary.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

It is especially hard to combat AIDS, a major cause of poverty, unless the moral issues connected with the spread of the virus are also addressed.

Poverty. When poverty strikes a family, the children prove to be the most vulnerable victims: almost half of those living in absolute poverty today are children.

First and foremost, educational campaigns are needed, aimed especially at the young, to promote a sexual ethic that fully corresponds to the dignity of the person; initiatives of this kind have already borne important fruits, causing a reduction in the spread of AIDS. Then, too, the necessary medicines and treatment must be made available to poorer peoples as well. This presupposes a determined effort to promote medical research and innovative forms of treatment, as well as flexible application, when required, of the international rules protecting intellectual property, so as to guarantee necessary basic healthcare to all people.

To take the side of children when considering poverty means giving priority to those objectives which concern them most directly, such as

A third area requiring attention in programmes for fighting poverty, which once again highlights its intrinsic moral dimension, is Child

caring for mothers, commitment to education, access to vaccines, medical care and drinking water, safeguarding the environment, and above all, commitment to defence of the family and the stability of relations within it.

When the family is weakened, it is inevitably children who suffer. If the dignity of women and mothers is not protected, it is the children who are affected most.

A fourth area needing particular attention from the moral standpoint is the relationship between Disarmament and Development.

The current level of world military expenditure gives cause for concern. As I have pointed out before, it can happen that ‘ Immense military expenditure, involving material and human resources and arms, is in fact diverted from development projects for peoples, especially the poorest who are most in need of aid.’ 21

BRAZIL: Youth missionaries preparing to ‘hit the streets.’

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21 Benedict XVI, Letter to Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino on the occasion of the International Seminar organised by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace on the theme: “Disarmament, Development and Peace. Prospects for Integral Disarmament”, 10 April 2008: L’Osservatore Romano, English edition, 30 April 2008, p. 2.

CARING FOR THE POOR

This state of affairs does nothing to promote, and indeed seriously impedes, attainment of the ambitious development targets of the international community.

What is more, an excessive increase in military expenditure risks accelerating the arms race, producing pockets of underdevelopment and desperation, so that it can paradoxically become a cause of instability, tension and conflict.

As my sainted Predecessor Paul VI wisely observed, ‘the new name for peace is development’.22 States are therefore invited to reflect seriously on the underlying reasons for conflicts, often provoked by injustice, and to practise courageous self-criticism. If relations can be improved, it should be possible to reduce expenditure on arms. The resources saved could then be earmarked for development projects.

A fifth area connected with the fight against material poverty concerns Food Crises,

which places in jeopardy the fulfilment of basic needs. Today Food Crises are characterised not so much by a shortage of food, as by difficulty in gaining access to it and by different forms of speculation: in other words, by a structural lack of political and economic institutions capable of addressing needs and emergencies.

Malnutrition can also cause grave mental and physical damage to the population, depriving many people of the energy necessary to escape from poverty unaided. This contributes to the widening gap of inequality, and can provoke violent reactions.

In the Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, John Paul II warned of the need to ‘abandon a mentality in which the Poor – as individuals and as peoples – are considered a burden, as irksome intruders trying to consume what others have produced.’

22 Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, n.87.

CAMEROON: Some of the Million Children praying the Rosary.

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The Poor, he wrote, ‘ask for the right to share in enjoying material goods and to make good use of their capacity for work, thus creating a world that is more just and prosperous for all’.23 In today’s globalised world, it is increasingly evident that peace can be built only if everyone is assured the possibility of reasonable growth: sooner or later, the distortions produced by unjust systems have to be paid for by everyone. It is utterly foolish to build a luxury home in the midst of desert or decay.

Globalisation on its own is incapable of building peace, and in many cases, it actually creates divisions and conflicts. If anything it points to a need: to be oriented towards a goal of Profound Solidarity that seeks the good of each and all. In this sense, globaliKENYA: Helping Families to take care of themselves.

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RUSSIA: Rehabilitating Drug Addicts in Torfyanoye.

sation should be seen as a good opportunity to achieve something important in the Fight against Poverty, and to place at the disposal of Justice and Peace resources which were scarcely conceivable previously.

23 John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, n.28.

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THE CHURCH OF HOPE

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he development of peoples must maintain as a pastoral principle a global and anthropological vision of the human person.

Pope Paul VI defined ‘complete development’ in his Encyclical, Populorum Progressio, as: ‘ What must be aimed at is complete humanism. And what is that if not the fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men?

A humanism closed in on itself, and not open to the values of the spirit and to God who is their source, could achieve apparent success.... (However) There is no true humanism but that which is open to the Absolute and is conscious of a vocation which gives human life its true meaning’ 25

This complete development takes into account the social and material aspects of life, such as the proclamation of faith which gives man’s being full meaning.

Man’s True Poverty is often the lack of Hope and the absence of a Father who gives meaning to human existence itself: ‘Often the deepest cause of suffering is the very absence of God’ 26 The Church is facing enormous challenges.

At the same time, however, She is the ‘Church of Hope’, which feels the need to fight for the dignity of every person and for true Justice, and against the wretched condition of our fellow human beings.

24 Extracted from Benedict XVI ‘Address to the Participants in the Annual Meeting of the Administrative Board of the Autonomous Pontifical Foundation ‘Populorum Progressio’ for Latin America and the Caribbean Countries’, Consistory Hall, Thursday, 14 June 2007 25 Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio n. 42.

26 Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est, n. 31c.

SOUTH SUDAN: Teaching people about their God-given dignity.

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AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN CHARITY 27

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hen we consider the charitable Mission of the Church it is vital to always reflect upon what is meant by the word Charity itself. Charity is not a sterile performance or a simple offering to be given in order to silence our conscience. What we must never forget is that Charity has its origin and its essence in God Himself;28 Charity is God’s embrace of every person and especially the least and the suffering who occupy a preferential place in His Heart.

conceal that of Christ Himself. They are His flesh, signs of His crucified body and we have the duty to reach out to them even in the most extreme peripheries and in the underground of history, with the delicacy and tenderness of the Mother Church.

Were we to consider Charity as simply being a service then the Church would become merely a humanitarian agency and the service of Charity its ‘logistics department.’ But the Church is not at all like this, it is something much different and much greater: She is, in Christ, the sign and instrument of God’s Love for Humanity and for all creation, our common home.

The Church’s Charitable Ministry as an antidote to a culture of indifference and waste must choose to follow the logic of Integral Human Development. And so therefore I must emphasise ‘the worst discrimination that the Poor suffer from is the lack of Spiritual Care’. 30

When we engage in Charity the vision of the human person is at stake and this cannot ever be reduced to one single aspect as it must involve the whole human person as a child of God, created in His image. The Poor are first and foremost persons, and their faces 27 Translated, adapted and edited from the original Italian: ‘Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Participants in the Meeting sponsored by Caritas Internationalis’, Clementine Hall, 27 May, 2019. The original can be read in full at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/ speeches/2019/may/documents/papa-francesco_20190527_caritas-internationalis.html 28 See Jn 4:8 29 Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 34.

30 Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 200.

31 Ibid.

32 Ibid.

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We must aim at the promotion of ‘the whole person and of all persons’ (Integral Development) so that they might become authors and protagonists of their own progress. 29

Indeed we all know that ‘the great majority of the Poor have a special openness to the Faith, they need God and we must not fail to offer them His Friendship, His Blessing, His Word, the Celebration of the Sacraments and a journey of growth and maturity in the Faith.’

31 As the example of the Saints teaches us, ‘the preferential option for the poor must translate into a privileged and preferential Religious Care’. 32 Communion is central to the life of the Church, it defines Her essence. The Church’s Communion is born from an encounter with Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who through

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the proclamation of the Church reaches all mankind and creates communion with Himself, the Father and the Holy Spirit. 33 It is precisely this Communion in Christ and in the Church that animates, accompanies and sustains the Church’s charitable ministries throughout the world on an ongoing basis and in emergency situations.’In this way the diaconate (diakonia) of Charity becomes the means by which the communion of the Church is made manifest.34 In considering these three basis aspects of Christian Charity, the nature of Charity, Integrated Human Development and Communion I would like to urge us all to express them in lives of poverty, gratuitousness and humility.

33 Cf. 1 Jn: 1,3 34 Cf. Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 4.

35 Cf. Mt 25,31-46

It is simply not possible to live lives of Christian Charity without having direct personal contact with the Poor, to live with the Poor and for the Poor. Poor people are not anonymous numbers but real people. Through living with the Poor we learn how to practice Charity with the right spirit. We learn that Charity is sharing.

We also learn that any Charity that does not touch one’s heart and soul and all of one’s being, a Charity that simply reaches the pocket is incomplete and might even be called fake.

So for this reason I wish to emphasise that True Christian Charity is neither some abstract idea nor some pious feeling, rather it is an experiential encounter with Christ, it is the desire to live with the heart of God who asks us not to care for the Poor in some generic abstract manner but to meet Him in them humbly and in our own poverty. 35

VENEZUELA: Freeing God’s Children from lives of hell.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

SHARING OUR VALUES, LIVING OUR FAITH PAKISTAN, ISRAEL, PALESTINE, JORDAN

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ope Francis teaches that an indissoluble bond unites us all in the richness of our ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences.

But in order to recognise this diversity as a true richness, we need formation of Spirit and Heart.

The formation required for us to recognise this wealth and so overcome prejudices can be conveyed through discussion groups, symposia, courses and seminars.

The Centre for Peace in the archdiocese of Lahore in Pakistan offers a whole range of

PAKISTAN: Father. James. Why am I a Christian.

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approaches for the promotion of dialogue between Christians and Muslims. In this way ‘we can come to know the religion of the other person and create a culture of tolerance, acceptance and peaceful coexistence’, says the director of the centre, Dominican Father James Channan.

Cardinal Joseph Coutts, Archbishop of Karachi, also recognises the importance of this dialogue, given the current situation in Pakistan. He adds, ‘We are seeking shared values.

We are offering a message that will help to overcome prejudices.’

PAKISTAN: We are Christians because we are all part of God’s Family.

CARING FOR THE POOR

The centre has established a three-year project that will run until 2021. In this overwhelmingly Islamic nation, in which Christians make up barely 1.8% of the population and in which over 40% of the population can neither read nor write and where violence, discrimination against minorities, fanaticism and abuse of the so-called blasphemy laws are a daily occurrence, such dialogue is no mere matter of window dressing but rather one of sheer survival. Father James has asked our help, and we have promised him €15,000.

Coming together in a spirit of forgiveness is the goal of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue in Jerusalem. Only in this way can reconciliation grow in hearts and minds.

Around 100 Christians, Jews and Muslims from Israel and Palestine are taking part in a new, two-year course, which involves several

intensive multi-day seminars and workshops in Israel and Jordan. They are being trained as experts in conflict resolution and will later also serve as ‘multipliers’, who will spread the message of concrete brotherly love to others.

The course, ‘Fostering Reconciliation, and Overcoming Hatred’ is a model project and quite unique in terms of Israeli-Palestinian relations. The total cost of the two-year course is €91,000. ACN is contributing €50,000.

Michael Asks If someone / anyone were to ask you what you most valued in life, what would you answer?

Was this always the case?

JERUSALEM: Blessed are the Peacemakers.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

REAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE WORST POVERTY

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E

ven in the ‘valley of darkness’ of which the Psalmist speaks (Ps 23:4), while the tempter prompts us to despair or to place a vain hope in the work of our own hands, God is there to guard us and sustain us.

So it is that even today the Lord hears the cry of the multitudes longing for joy, peace, and love. As in every age, they feel abandoned. Yet, even in the desolation of misery, loneliness, violence and hunger that indiscriminately afflict children, adults, and the elderly, God does not allow darkness to prevail. In fact, in the words of my beloved Predecessor, Pope John Paul II, there is a ‘divine limit imposed upon evil’, namely, mercy:37 ‘Jesus, at the sight of the crowds, was moved with pity’ 38 (Mt 9:36).

I would like to consider the question of development in this light. Even now, the compassionate ‘gaze’ of Christ continues to fall upon individuals and peoples. He watches them, knowing that the divine ‘plan’ includes their call to salvation.

Jesus knows the perils that put this plan at risk, and He is moved with pity for the crowds. He chooses to defend them from the wolves even at the cost of His own life. The gaze of Jesus embraces individuals and multitudes, and 36 Adapted and edited from Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2006, Vatican 29th Sept. 2005.

37 Pope John Paul II ‘Memory and identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium’. New York: Rizzoli. pp. 19ff..

38 Mt. 9 :36 39 Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio 21

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He brings them all before the Father, offering Himself as a sacrifice of expiation.

Enlightened by this Paschal truth, the Church knows that if we are to promote development in its fullness, our own ‘gaze’ upon mankind has to be measured against that of Christ.

In fact, it is quite impossible to separate the response to people’s material and social needs from the fulfilment of the profound desires of their hearts.

This has to be emphasised all the more in today’s rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the Poor emerges with ever greater clarity and urgency. My venerable predecessor, St. Pope Paul VI, accurately described the scandal of underdevelopment as an outrage against humanity.

In his Encyclical Populorum Progressio, he denounced ‘The lack of material necessities for those who are without the minimum essential for life, the moral deficiencies of those who are mutilated by selfishness’ and ‘oppressive social structures, whether due to the abuses of ownership or to the abuses of power, to the exploitation of workers or to unjust transactions.’ 39

CARING FOR THE POOR

As the antidote to such evil, Paul VI suggested not only ‘Increased esteem for the dignity of others, the turning towards the spirit of poverty, cooperation for the common good, the will and desire for peace’, but also ‘the acknowledgement by man of supreme values, and of God, their source and their finality’.40 In this vein, Pope Paul went on to propose that, finally and above all, there is ‘faith, a gift of God accepted by the good will of man, and unity in the charity of Christ’. 41 Thus, the ‘gaze’ of Christ upon the crowd impels us to affirm the true content of this ‘complete humanism’ that, according to Paul VI, consists in the ‘fully-rounded development of the whole man and of all men.’ 42

(For this reason, the primary contribution that the Church offers to the development of mankind and peoples does not consist merely in material means or technical solutions. Rather, it involves the proclamation of the Truth of Christ, Who educates consciences and teaches the authentic dignity of the person and of work; it means the promotion of a culture that truly responds to all the questions of humanity.

In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world’s population, indifference and self-centred isolation stand in stark contrast to the ‘gaze’ of Christ.

40 Ibid.

41 ibid.

42 ibid., n.42.

UGANDA: Sr. Rosemary brings God’s Grace and His Joy to His Children.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

Fasting and almsgiving, together with prayer are suitable means for us to become conformed to this ‘gaze’.

The examples of the saints and the long history of the Church’s missionary activity provide invaluable indications of the most effective ways to support development.

Even in this era of global interdependence, it is clear that no economic, social, or political project can replace that Gift of Self to another through which Charity is expressed.

Those who act according to the logic of the Gospel live the Faith as friendship with God Incarnate and, like Him, bear the burden of the material and spiritual needs of their neighbours.

They see it as an inexhaustible mystery, worthy of infinite care and attention. They

know that he who does not give God gives too little; as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta frequently observed, the worst poverty is not to know Christ.

Therefore, we must help others to find God in the merciful face of Christ. Without this perspective, civilisation lacks a solid foundation.

Thanks to men and women obedient to the Holy Spirit, many forms of charitable work intended to promote development have arisen in the Church: hospitals, universities, professional formation schools, and small businesses. Such initiatives demonstrate the genuine humanitarian concern of those moved by the Gospel message, far in advance of other forms of social welfare.

These charitable activities point out the way to achieve a globalisation that is focused upon the true good of mankind and, hence, the path towards authentic peace.

Moved like Jesus with compassion for the crowds, the Church today considers it Her duty to ask political leaders and those with economic and financial power to promote development based on respect for the dignity of every man and woman.

PHILIPPINES: Refugees attending Holy Mass in a tent.

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An important litmus test for the success of their efforts is religious liberty, understood not simply as the freedom to proclaim and celebrate Christ, but also the opportunity to contribute to the building of a world enlivened

by Charity.

CARING FOR THE POOR

These efforts have to include a recognition of the central role of authentic religious values in responding to man’s deepest concerns, and in supplying the ethical motivation for his personal and social responsibilities. These are the criteria by which Christians should assess the political programmes of their leaders.

We cannot ignore the fact that many mistakes have been made in the course of history by those who claimed to be disciples of Jesus.

Very often, when having to address grave problems, they have thought that they should first improve this world and only afterwards turn their minds to the next.

The temptation was to believe that, in the face of urgent needs, the first imperative was to change external structures. The consequence, for some, was that Christianity became a kind of moralism, ‘believing’ was replaced with ‘doing’.

Rightly, therefore, my predecessor, St. Pope John Paul II, of blessed memory, observed: ‘ T he temptation today is to reduce Christianity to merely human wisdom, a pseudo-science of wellbeing. In our heavily secularised world, a ‘gradual secularisation of Salvation’ has taken place, so that people strive for the good of man, but man who is truncated…

We know, however, that Jesus came to bring Integral Salvation’ 43 This is God’s Work and it is the Mission with which He entrusted His Church, to bring the Hope of Salvation and the Graces that are needed to attain it.

43 Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, n. 11

BANGLADESH: Forming a Christian community that is capable of radiating Joy and Hope.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

BRINGING THE WEALTH OF CHRIST’S LOVE TO THE WORLD MICHELE CHRONISTER

44

W

hen Fr. Sorin, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, first arrived in northern Indiana during the middle of the nineteenth century, he built a simple log Chapel on the land that would eventually become the University of Notre Dame.

The current log chapel is a replica of that one.

On a campus which now boasts of a Basilica and probably somewhere around forty or more stunning Chapels, the Log Chapel stands 44 Adapted and edited from an original article entitled ‘The Church is for the Poor’ dated Feb 28, 2018 and available to be read at https:// catholicexchange.com/the-church-is-for-the-poor. Michele Chronister is a wife, mother, and author of a number of books. She blogs at www.mydomesticmonastery.com, where she shares inspiration for families wanting to grow in holiness. Michele received her BA and MA in Theology from the University of Notre Dame.

INDIA: Glorifying God at Holy Mass.

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out in its simplicity. Despite that, the vessels used at Mass there are gold and beautiful vestments are worn. Such was also the case during Fr. Sorin’s time when most of the Churches in the frontier were log Chapels. So it was that the poorest and humblest people could come and be surrounded by beauty. A family that lived in a simple sod house or log cabin could be surrounded by beauty at Mass.

My mother grew up in the Back of the Yards neighbourhood of Chicago in the 1950s. Back then, it was a lower middle-class neighbourhood of working class Polish people and far from being wealthy. Yet, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was stunning.

CARING FOR THE POOR

This was not unusual. In these poor immigrant neighbourhoods, people poured what little money they had into building beautiful Churches. Their Churches were the heart of their neighbourhoods and the appearance of their Churches was in stark contrast to their own humble homes.

So, why then don’t we give all of our money to the poor instead of spending money on vestments and vessels and Churches?

One of my favourite stories in the hagiography of the Saints is that of St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence was asked to hand over the riches of the Church.

We are a sensory people. We need the physical world to experience things. We need

What did he bring? He brought not gold or jewels, but the poor, the sick, and those who others viewed as being of little or no value.

‘Here are the riches of the Church!’ he said.

And St. Lawrence was right!

Because those very things, those vestments, those vessels, those Churches are all for the poor.

to taste things, to touch things, to smell things, to hear things.

All people need this, but especially the poor.

But who do I mean when I say ‘the poor’?

BANGLADESH: Glorifying God in ‘the least’ of His people.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

This, of course, includes those who know financial strain and poverty. But ‘the poor’ includes more than these. St. Teresa of Kolkata famously said, ‘There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.

The Poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty — it is not only a Poverty of loneliness but also of Spirituality.

There’s a Hunger for Love, as there is a Hunger for God.’

SYRIA: Awaiting milk for her little brother.

This is, perhaps, the greatest wealth of the Church. There is a reason why Catholics don’t talk endlessly of a ‘personal relationship with Jesus.’ It’s not because it’s unimportant (in fact, there’s nothing more important in this life

than that personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist). It’s because our faith isn’t of the personal, ‘me-and-God’ variety.

We believe that the Church is the ‘Mystical Body’ of Christ, with Jesus Christ as the Head,

INDIA: Dalit Christians endure cruel discriminations because of their birth, their gender and their Religion.

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CARING FOR THE POOR

and we the parts. Our goal in life is not to merely get ourselves to Heaven — it is to help each other get there.

In fact, this work is so important that it does not cease with death. We believe that we are called to pray for our loved ones who have died, and who may be in Purgatory.

Likewise, we believe that the Saints (including our loved ones) in Heaven, pray for us on our earthly pilgrimage. This is also the reason why it is so important that all the members (and potential members!) of the Church be welcomed at Mass.

All of the Church’s wealth belongs to all the poor — both those who are physically as well as spiritually poor.

RUSSIA: Sharing the Joy of the Gospel with people in need.

The Church exists to bring the Wealth of Christ’s Love to the World – and it is often through our actions, our loving glances, our welcoming words, our open doors and pews, that God accomplishes this work.

ENLARGING HIS CHURCH

the loaves. Thanks to your help, they are now planning to enlarge the Church, God’s Home.

I

Father Jacques Badji is ‘overjoyed’ and together with his parishioners sends us his heartfelt thanks. They are praying for us and for you our beloved benefactors.

MALI

n Mali, in the Sahel, many Christian communities are flourishing, despite the shadow of Islamist terror.

The parish of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Sebenikoro, close to the capital city Bamako, is just 20 years old and their parish church accommodates 400 people. Over three times this number come to Holy Mass every Sunday and when it comes to Weddings, Funerals and Baptisms, they have to celebrate in the open air.

‘What is that among so many?’ One might ask as one of the disciples did before Jesus multiplied

MALI: ‘Come to me all ye who are weary and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest’ Matthew 11:28

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DOING GOD’S WORK

MAKING CHRIST VISIBLE IN THE WORLD SENEGAL, HONDURAS

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hen fire devastated the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris this April, one newspaper wrote: ‘In the week of the Passion of Christ, Notre Dame is burning. In the heart of a city without God the very stones began to cry out.’

Stones can indeed cry out. And they do not have to belong to UNESCO’s world cultural heritage in order to do so. The small but growing parish community of Saint Germaine in Marsassoum, in Senegal, are dreaming of such stones. For ‘they are the visible sign of the Church and its presence in a Muslim environment’, says Bishop Jean-Pierre Bassène

of the diocese of Kolda, explaining his request for help.

In 2003 there were barely a hundred parishioners in the community, all well able to fit into their small chapel. But their dreams had been too modest and so the Holy Spirit blew powerfully. The number of Baptisms increased along with the numbers of people turning from animist beliefs to the Catholic Faith. Plans to build a Church with seating for 250, a slender campanile and imposing doorway, befitting the entrance to the Lord’s House, became a reality in 2016.

SENEGAL: Building a House of God for the People of God.

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CARING FOR THE POOR

Many parishioners rolled up their sleeves to help and the walls began to rise up. However, resources soon fell short and inflation along with the cost of materials and transport swallowed up their remaining reserves, so the ‘visible sign’ has not yet materialised. ACN has promised €15,000, so that it may indeed become visible.

Similarly, in La Ceiba in Honduras, the Franciscan Sisters have their own dream. They would like to have a house Chapel built in their Divine Providence old people’s home, where they can pray with and for the 30 residents under their care.

Bishop Miguel Lenihan of La Ceiba also anticipated something else the Sisters needed, namely decent accommodation and a private room for the Sisters themselves. It can be

HONDURAS: Sister Candelaria’s elderly need a chapel for their Spiritual Comfort.

hard work caring for elderly people, many of whom they have quite literally brought in off the streets. In addition to this calling, the five Sisters are also involved in the youth and family apostolate and catechesis.

The retirement home depends on outside donations. Doctors and local clinics provide medication while friends provide food. Money is spent only on the most basic essentials.

There is absolutely no additional funding for building projects.

So we have promised €20,000 to provide a small house, alongside the retirement home and the Chapel. For Divine Providence has sent ACN along to help the Sisters and Bishop Miguel make Christ more visible among the poor of La Ceiba.

HONDURAS: Sister Candelaria inspects the dormitory for her loved ones.

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DOING GOD’S WORK

A GREAT DEAL IS BEING DONE STILL A GREAT DEAL TO BE DONE

MY OFFERING FOR CHRISTIANS IN AFRICA

It was not without reason that our dear Father Werenfried used to say to us, ‘I can actually only say that there is still a great deal to be done’ I still think back on his words and recall his visit to our village. I will continue to support Father Werenfried’s mission as long as I live. I wish God’s continued blessing upon your important work.

My name is Cyprien, and I am 12 years old.

My parents are benefactors, and that is how I know about ACN. I would like my donation to be used to help Christians in Africa, above all in Nigeria where there is so much violence.

My brother and I organised a savings box during Lent, to raise money for ACN, and I would like to continue it for my part. All the best with your work.

A Benefactress in Belgium

A young Benefactor in France HELPING PEOPLE TO KNOW GOD I would like this money to be used in support of priests and religious and their work of spreading the Faith. There are enough charitable organisations to help people in physical need. When people are taught about God and His promises, they can help themselves, which they cannot do if they don’t know God. A Benefactor in Australia

SEEDS OF LOVE Every donation should be seen by the one giving as a Seed of Love, which must be planted in fertile soil. This is an excellent opportunity for us. ACN is this rich soil, we are the sowers and donations are the seeds. God is the one who will make them bear fruit. So let us plant generously.

A Benefactor in Brazil

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Spiritual Builders of the Future in Bangui.

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CARING FOR THE POOR

THE ‘WIDOW’S MITE’ IS MIGHTY Dear Friends,

B

uildings convey a sense of identity, security and common purpose.

This was something we all experienced as we helplessly watched footage of the burning Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. There was a widespread sense of loss – not only among Parisians and the wave of generosity it prompted for the rebuilding of this symbol of the Christian West exceeded all expectations.

At the same time, however, many of us were also aware that many churches and pastoral buildings around the world have gone up in flames and the reasons for this have not been technical or accidental, but hatred, intolerance, rabid atheism and false prophets. .

It has been our privilege for decades now to help our embattled brothers and sisters in their home countries in the building of

churches, seminaries and religious houses so they can have the opportunity

to celebrate Eucharist together, to talk to the Lord, to teach the Faith to their children to train their own priests, religious and lay missionaries, to give and receive material and spiritual support, and to take care of the Poor and the poorest of the Poor.

That we are able to do this is due to your kind generosity. So it is that at this time of dramatically increasing persecution of Christians I humbly seek your continued support. The ‘Widow’s Mite’ is mighty indeed and it glorifies the Lord magnificently.

Your Brother in Christ,

Thomas Heine-Geldern EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF ACN INTERNATIONAL

WHERE TO SEND YOUR DONATION TO AID THE CHURCH IN NEED Please use the Freepost envelope.

Aid to the Church in Need, 151 St. Mobhi Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.

(01) 837 7516

info@acnireland.org www.acnireland.org

IBAN BIC

IE32 BOFI 9005 7890 6993 28 BOFI IE2D

If you give by Standing Order, or have sent a donation recently, please accept our sincere thanks. This MIRROR is for your interest and information.

Registered Charity Numbers: (RoI) 9492 (NI) XR96620.

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God wants us to share in His Work.

Fr. Werenfried receiving the ‘Widow’s Mite’.

‘I have no other capital than your kind hearts. the hearts of saints, but mostly the hearts of sinners.

The same law of love is binding on us all.’

Father Werenfried van Straaten, (1913-2003) Founder of Aid to the Church in Need

THE MIRROR IS AVAILABLE TO READ AT ACNIRELAND.ORG/MIRROR 19 - 5