Catholic Church Preferential Option For The Poor

The Church calls for the protection of the life and dignity of every person. The poor and homeless are often in need for this protection the most. The amount of poverty and homelessness in our society is destroying lives, undermining families, hurting communities, and weakening the social fabric of our nation (United States Catholic Conference of Bishops). In response to poverty and homelessness, the catholic church believes in the preferential option for the poor, the principle of charity, and sheltering the homeless.

The Catholic Church believes that the poor and homeless should be treated with the preferential option. The preferential option for the poor is the moral obligation to put the needs of the poor above those of the rich or common. The church believes in the importance of taking care of those that are poor, weak, and vulnerable in order to give them an opportunity to the rights held by everyone else (Singer-Towns). The preferential option for the poor originates from the Bible. A teaching from John’s gospel reads, “If someone who has worldly

A work of charity is a donation of money, food, or material goods. It is a theological virtue which inspires and animates the practice of all other theological virtues and creates harmony between them. Charity purifies the ability to love and is the source and goal of Christian practices (Catechism of the Catholic Church). It is the simplest step that one can take to assist the poor, hungry, and less fortunate. Charity work is rooted in a teaching from Jesus, “Whoever has two coats must share with him who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise” (Luke 3:11). When catholics demonstrate the theological virtue of charity, they show their love for God through love for their neighbors (Singer-Towns). Charity is donating the things that people don't need to the ones that do need them. A charitable act is an act of purity and