THE WORLD DAY of the Poor falls on November 17 this year. It was established by Pope Francis in 2017 to remind us to care for the physical and spiritual needs of the poor.
The theme of this year is: The hope of the poor shall not perish for ever (Psalm 9:19). The psalmist describes the condition of the poor and the arrogance of those who oppressed them. He calls on God to restore justice. However, not only did suppression occur in the times of the psalmist, but many new forms of poverty have emerged in modern society as well. Thus, in his message for World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis lists various new forms of bondage, including people who are forced to leave their homelands. He appeals to all of us to address the structural and social realities we face today.
In Hong Kong, which sees a rise in the poverty level year after year, it is challenging to practise this mission of social concern. The latest statistics (2017) released by the government indicate that the number of people in poverty has reached 1.377 million, with the poverty rate reaching 20 per cent—a record high. In other words, one out of five people, on average, is categorised as being in poverty. In 2017, there were 200,000 working-poor households, indicating that the low-income class is unable to escape poverty even though they work very hard.
The pope’s World Day of the Poor message stresses that God “hears”, “comes to the aid of”, “protects”, “rescues” and “saves” the weakest. Sharing this mission, Christians “seek, in every poor person …, his or her true needs, not to stop at their most obvious material needs, but to discover their inner goodness, paying heed to their background and their way of expressing themselves, and in this way to initiate a true fraternal dialogue” (Evangelii Gaudium, 200). When Christians have in-depth dialogues with the poor and walk with them, society can see a sign that shows that heaven is present on earth.
The local Church has also been responding to the gospel’s invitation to walk with the poor. In order to welcome them, the Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs and the Diocesan Pastoral Commission for Marriage and the Family jointly organised a “three-day in poverty” experiential activity recently, enabling participants to experience livelihood pressures and come to better understand needs of the poor.
This care should not be limited to activities like this, because Christian accompaniment of the poor must be done with perseverance rather than on a sudden whim. With a prophetic perspective, they should also guide everyone to address new forms of exploitation and poverty.
Pope Francis has led the faithful to address social issues from an integral angle. He stresses, “The poverty and austerity of St. Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled” (Laudato Si’ 11). To respond to exploitation and control by the system, the Church community, in collaboration with civic society, has urged the authorities to improve the wage system so that wages can satisfy families’ basic living needs.
Let us pray for the poor. May the Lord open our hearts so that we can, through listening and dialogue, better respond to the shortcomings in the system and the circumstances of the poor. SE
