Has the Indian Catholic Church Forgotten the Poor?

ML Satyan –

Pope’s message: On November 17, the Sunday before the Solemnity of Christ the King, the Church commemorated the 8th World Day of the Poor. The theme of the Pope’s message for the day, released on the memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the poor (on June 13), was “The prayer of the poor rises up to God” (Sirach 21:5).

Pope Francis was joined by thousands of pilgrims in the Vatican on Sunday to celebrate the eighth annual World Day of the Poor to renew the Church’s commitment to “be close to the suffering” through spiritual and material works of charity.

As per the Catholic News Agency, before the Sunday Mass celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis blessed 13 statues of keys, representing the 13 Houses Campaign of the FamVin Homeless Alliance as a sign of solidarity and the Church’s dedication to care for the poor and marginalized.

Each of the 13 “keys” blessed by the pope is dedicated to a specific country in which the FamVin Homeless Alliance — a charitable organization founded in 2017 and inspired by the legacy of St. Vincent de Paul — has built a home dedicated to the poor: in Syria, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Throughout the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, families from each of these 13 countries will meet with Pope Francis and receive the blessed statue dedicated to the poor of their country.

During his homily and Angelus address, the Holy Father repeated his plea for Catholics to show their closeness to the poor through gestures of care infused with human warmth and tenderness. “To those who give alms I always ask two things,” the pope said to the thousands of pilgrims gathered inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

1. “Do you really touch the hands of these people or do you just throw the coins into their hands?”
2. “Do you look into their eyes when you are giving some help and doing alms – Do you look directly in their eyes or are you looking somewhere else?”

Amid the “hour of darkness” — times of desolation and anguish — described in Sunday’s Gospel and readings, Pope Francis said, “a great proclamation of hope” is truly present for those who have put their trust in God. “Jesus invites us to have a deeper look, to have eyes capable of reading within the events of history,” he explained. “An unshakable hope shines forth on this World Day of the Poor!” the Pope said.

Meal with the Poor: The pope then joined some 1,300 people invited to the Vatican audience hall to share lunch. The Italian Red Cross sponsored the meal, and its marching band provided entertainment. The Vincentian Fathers provided each of the pope’s guests with a backpack containing food and hygiene items to take home.

A brief history: In his 2016 apostolic letter “Misericordia et Misera”, issued at the conclusion of the extraordinary jubilee of mercy, Pope Francis announced the institution of the World Day of the Poor. The Pope said, “During the “Jubilee for Socially Excluded People,” as the Holy Doors of Mercy were being closed in all the cathedrals and shrines of the world, I had the idea that, as yet another tangible sign of this Extraordinary Holy Year, the entire Church might celebrate, on the Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, the World Day of the Poor.” He further said, “This would be the worthiest way to prepare for the celebration of the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, who identified with the little ones and the poor and who will judge us on our works of mercy (Mt 25:31-46).

Objectives of this day: The World Day of the Poor is celebrated for

• Raising awareness about poverty and its effects
• Encouraging solidarity with the poor
• Promoting actions to alleviate poverty
• Expressing compassion and empathy for the poor
• Recognizing the dignity of every human being
• Addressing systemic injustices

Poverty in India: India recently was ranked 105 out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, indicating a serious level of hunger. This ranking is alarming, especially when paired with the World Bank’s report that approximately 129 million Indians live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than Rs.181 per day. India’s performance on these indicators highlights and reminds the need for an urgent action by the real followers of Christ.

The Church’s response: In the morning of November 17, 2024, I circulated a WhatsApp message on the “The World Day of the Poor” to a number of my friends to sensitise. I attended the evening mass in my parish church. The parish priest never uttered a single word on the World Day of the Poor. I checked up with a few friends of mine in Coimbatore. They too said that nothing was mentioned on this topic in their parishes. I asked a priest-friend of mine whether he mentioned anything in his parish about the World Day of the Poor. He maintained a dead silence!

I was quite disappointed. A spontaneous question came to my mind: “Why Pope’s message does not permeate to diocese/parish levels?” From the day of assuming his papacy, Pope Francis has been setting up new trends for building a pro-poor simpler church. But how many Cardinals, Arch/bishops, Priests and Religious have understood and follow the Pope? Why do they live in their own ivory towers unaffected by the growing poverty? Was it not an occasion to sensitise the laity? Why did they miss out a wonderful opportunity to express solidarity with the poor? These are million-dollar questions.

Rabindranath’s poem must challenge all in the Indian Catholic Church:

“Leave this chanting and singing and telling of beads!
Whom do you worship in this lonely dark corner of a temple with doors all shut?
Open your eyes and see your God is not before you!

He is there where the tiller is tilling the hard ground
and where the path-maker is breaking stones.
He is with them in sun and in shower,
and his garment is covered with dust.
Put off your holy dress and even like him come down on the dusty soil!

Deliverance?
Where is this deliverance to be found?
Our master himself has joyfully taken upon him the bonds of creation;
he is bound with us all for ever.

Come out of your meditations and leave aside your flowers and incense!
What harm is there if your clothes become tattered and stained?
Meet him and stand by him in toil and in sweat of your brow.”