WORLDWIDE DESTINATION OF MATERIAL GOODS

M aterial goods are meant for all humanity, especially for the poor. The principle of the worldwide distribution of material goods demands a particular care and interest for the poor, the marginalized, and in general, for people whose living conditions don’t allow them to live with dignity.

This principle constitutes first and foremost, a preferential option for the practice of Christian love, as the tradition of the Church bears witness.

The practice of love is required in the life of every Christian who tries to imitate the life of Christ, but it should be carried out equally in our social responsibilities, in our lives and in decisions related to the ownership and use of material goods.

Today with globalisation the social problem has taken the form of love with the decisions it inspires and cannot fail to embrace the infinite multitudes of the hungry, the poor beggars, the homeless, the uninsured, who have no form of medical care and in particular no hope for a better future.

Human wretchedness is the sign of human weakness and of the need for salvation.

For this wretchedness Christ the Saviour suffered with us and identified himself with the least of his brethren (Mt 25,40) Jesus will recognize his chosen ones by what they have done for the poor. Good news preached to the poor is a sign that Jesus is present (Mt 11.5).

Jesus said “ You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me” (Mt 26:11), to associate the service of the poor with prayer to him.

Christian pragmatism, while on the one hand respecting the efforts made in the fight against poverty, on the other hand calls for caution regarding ideological theories and positions which feed the delusion that the problem of poverty can disappear from the world.

That will only happen in entirety when the Lord comes again, when He will be with us again for ever.

Meanwhile however, the poor claim us and at the end we will be judged on this responsibility (Mt 25:31). The Lord warns us that we will be cast out and separated from him if we don’t help the great needs of the poor and least of our brethren.

The Church’s love for the poor is inspired by the beatitudes of the Gospel, and by the poverty of Jesus and his interest and sympathy for the poor. This love concerns material poverty and the many forms of cultural and spiritual poverty.

From the beginning the church, in spite of the disbelief of many, never ceased to be interested in and to work with the poor, to protect them and to set them free.

The church did this with multiple works of charity which continued to be necessary everywhere. Inspired by the commandment of the Gospel “You received without paying, give without pay”(Mt 10:8), the Church teaches us to help our neighbour in all his needs with acts of charity and organized charities.

One of these charities is CARITAS HELLAS whose mission is to do, not what she pleases, but to obey a divine commandment. With this work she gives a witness of fraternal love and responds to an obligation of justice. In fact brotherly love is not restricted to almsgiving, but demands an interest in the social and political dimensions of the problem of poverty. The Church’s teaching returns repeatedly to the relationship between love and justice.

‘ When we give the poor the things that are necessary, we are not being generous but we are giving them what belongs to them. Rather than performing an act of love, we are fulfilling an obligation of justice’ ( St Gregory the Great ‘ Pastoral Rule’.)

This is the way the Fathers of the Vatican Council strongly commend this obligation ” because what is required by justice should not be offered as a gift of charity” Love for the poor is not in harmony with extreme love of wealth or with the selfish use of it.

+ Anthonios Varthalitis, Archbishop
President of Caritas Hellas