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November 15, 2021
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November 16, 2021

Religious leaders address poverty

By Klysha Best

The Catholic Commission for Social Justice (CCSJ)/ Archdiocesan Ministry for Migrants and Refugees (AMMR) hosted a virtual session to discuss the fifth World Day of the Poor on November 14.

The dialogue, which aired Sunday night on Trinity TV and related social media pages, saw at least ten speakers, distinguished clerics from a number of churches and religious groups like the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha and Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Islamic community, and others who may or may not be represented by the Inter-Religious Organisation.

Moderated by the Media Association of T&T President Ira Mathur, the hour-long event was the focal point of the Archdiocese’s Justice, Peace and Community Week (JPCW), which began on November 13.

Chair of the CCSJ/AMMR, Leela Ramdeen said: “During this week, we want to inspire people to raise their awareness and consciences that we cannot sit in our comfort zones and ignore [them].”

Mathur noted that World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organisation has revealed that 700-million people are currently living in poverty globally – 97 million in extreme poverty. Here at home, 51,000 are living in poverty.

Archbishop Jason Gordon praised Pope Francis for starting World Day of the Poor in 2015. However, he said the focus now is: “What are we doing to alleviate poverty and how are we treating with our brothers and sisters who are on the fringe?”

The Archbishop noted that in Matthew 25: 35–36, Jesus stated “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.”

He said, “This links salvation to the corporal works of mercy, which is the work of alleviating the plight of the poor, consoling the poor and giving what is necessary – food, shelter and clothing.”

Archbishop Gordon said this “…ties up the image of God with the image of the poor.”

The theme for the day was The poor you will always have with you (Mk 14:7) and according to the Archbishop, “This has been seen by many as a dismissal of the needs of dealing with the poor or of taking the poor seriously.”

He said “Pope Francis in his reflection on the theme for World Day of the Poor 2021, said this is actually saying something much more profound. That wherever you meet the poor, that there you will meet God also, and God will always be with you.”

 

He continued: “It is not whether they are nice people or bad people, the fact that someone is poor demands of us a response of love, compassion and of care.”

Rev Joy Abdul-Mohan of the Presbyterian Church said the celebration and theme were timely, especially as the world is grappling with a pandemic.

She said the Presbyterian Church believes that the church is called to be in solidarity with the poor and is anointed to preach good news to the poor, through active mission outreach, and using its resources to eradicate poverty of all kinds.

“Poverty has a direct correlation to injustice, inequality and oppression…The Presbyterian Church does not accept poverty as good but that the church has a moral and spiritual responsibility to consciously attempt to restructure, social, political and economic conditions to alleviate and ideally eradicate poverty.

“We embrace the theology of liberation, which re-enforces the conclusion that poverty is a scandalous condition, inimical to human dignity and therefore contrary to the will of God.”

Pundit Navin Omadath Maharaj of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha, in his contribution said their teachings advised them of the importance of selfless service.

He said one should make every effort to attend to the needs of the less fortunate as this reinforces the concept that God resides inside every being. “It is our duty to help others who are less fortunate, and this is ordained in our scriptures.”

Pundit Maharaj noted that one of the main tenets of the Maha Sabha places great emphasis on service to others and showing empathy and compassion.

Ramdeen, in closing the webinar, said she believes that interfaith dialogue and interfaith relations is the glue that holds us together as we co-exist in harmony.

She said the common good in the Catholic Church means creating conditions where each person could flourish. “Let us stand in solidarity with the poor.”