C.

POVERTY IN RELATION TO SOLIDARITY

It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the
good of all ...because we are all really responsible for all. (Pope John Paul II, On Social Concern, 1987)
Hundreds of millions of children go to bed hungry every night because of:

effects of war
ethnic conflicts
natural disasters
living in desperate poverty

The disparities between poverty and wealth are so extreme as to be almost overwhelming.
In the face of these "signs of the times," people of faith are confronted with a very basic
question: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Church teaching answers this question with a resounding "Yes."

According to Called to Global Solidarity, the U.S. bishops summed up, "We are citizens
of a powerful democracy with enormous influence beyond our borders. As Catholics and
Americans we are uniquely called to global solidarity."

Pope John Paul II

Churchs leading voice in behalf of solidarity which he coined as a virtue

a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good because we are all
really responsible for all
Sacred Scripture continually speaks to us of an active commitment to our neighbor and
demands of us a shared responsibility for all of humanity. This duty is not limited to one's own
family, nation or state, but extends progressively to all so no one can consider himself or herself
extraneous or indifferent to the lot of another member of the human family.
Economic activity and material progress must be placed at the service of man and society.
If people dedicate themselves to these with the faith, hope and love of Christ's disciples,
even the economy and progress can be transformed into places of salvation and
sanctification.
In these areas, it is possible to express a love and a solidarity that are more than human,
and to contribute to the growth of a new humanity that anticipates the world to come
Jesus sums up all of revelation in calling the believer to become rich before God The
economy too is useful to this end, when its function as an instrument for the overall
growth of man and society, of the human quality of life, is not betrayed.