A Church of the Non-poor

Don’t be wondering why have not scribbled on my blog after the election of the new Pope Francis. I am constantly bombarded with the things about the new Pope. Facebook wall is filled with photos and the praises of the new Pope and everyday conversation is all about the Pope. Last two weeks have been like a huge storm about the Pope that is sweeping the earth. I am slightly apprehensive that people who try these things are putting cart before the horses. Thus I would like to sit under a fig tree and wait for the Lord to show up and not to make any comments prematurely. But I have one trivial matter that is vibrating in my mind and trying to stir my emotions. Thus I have this little thought on poverty and poor people.  

The Catholic Church is again trying to keep the poor in the status quo assuring that the Church will uplift the poor and try to eradicate the poverty. In the past the Church tried to deal with the sin in the same manner that humanity is doomed because of the Original sin. It is a pessimistic approach to life and human experience. Even today, some of the fundamental freaks try to indoctrinate the people with the idea that man is doomed to sin and only through Christ and His Church one can gain salvation. I know the Church has done with the idea of salvation through the Church. One cannot decide for the other whether God saves him/her or condemns. I am sure our God is a loving God who would not condemn anyone. We have a best example in Jesus who loved the adulterer woman and assured the kingdom of God to a thief at the cross. Thus who is the Church to decide whether one is condemned or condoned. My focus is not on the above issue of sin but it is a just an example of how the Church is trying to keep the people in darkness particularly the poor.

Poverty is not really a poverty for the world has enough resources for everyone. It is the selfish-few try to amass more than what they need. Gandhi expressed: “world has enough for everyone's need not for greed.” If one is bombarded with words, you are poor and we will try to help you to eradicate poverty, I am sure the psyche is affected to such an extent that they will really remain poor. I remember working in the slum in India, folks in the slum are not really poor, they have a job that would sustain them and have good house but for some reasons they want to remain as they are in the slum. This is not because they are poor but rather they have come to like the community life and the security they enjoy in the slum. But we cannot brand them as poor and give them a sympathetic hug which will further their agony. St. Augustine noted in Summa Theologia that if we have more than what we need, it does not belong to us, it belongs to the person who does not have it, therefore it can subject to theft. Now again Pope has assured the poor with the slogan, “Church of the poor”. I wonder how many poor people will be happy to call themselves poor from the bottom of their heart. Everyone wants to be non-poor which is a good thing. A psychologist would agree with me, if one is told recurrently that he is ‘useless’ it would affect his psyche and remain useless perceptually. In the same manner one is told frequently that one is poor, it would really affect them such a way they would never try to be non-poor. 

A group of people wanted to feed the village in the interior of Guyana saying let them eat well at least one day. But the Catholic priest told them, “will you be here to feed them everyday, and how do you know that they don’t eat well.” Yes, this is the attitude some of us have towards the poor without knowing the inner being of the poor. It is worth penetrating into the life of the poor and understand them and avoid making a status quo comments. Can the Church be a ‘Church of the non-poor’ i.e. Church of the poor out of poverty.