Poverty Archives

Catholic schools make outreach to Hispanic community a priority

For Hispanic students enrolled in Catholic schools, there’s often a sense of gratitude mixed with heightened self-awareness and varying levels of discomfort. Some express concern that their own background is not reflected in their school’s curriculum, such as absence of a discussion of Latino history, and note the lack of diversity in faculty and staff especially at schools that serve Hispanics and other students of color.

Bangladesh cardinal says Pope will see church ‘rich in our poverty’

Christians account for just 0.5 percent of Bangladesh’s population of 170 million, roughly 90 percent of which is Muslim. In part because of systemic discrimination in employment, poverty among Christians is widespread. Despite that, Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario says when Pope Francis comes calling in late November and early December, he’ll see a church “rich in our poverty.”

Orphanages are sometimes necessary to protect the most vulnerable

For many foster care is not an option. In many places this is due to issues of extreme poverty. There may be a lack of resources to properly screen and train foster carers with the risk that children placed into such care are vulnerable to abuse. The traditional orphanage is important as a place of last resort, for children with no other available living situation.

The orphan myth: Exposing the truth about orphanages
- Commentary, Global Church
- July 12, 2017
Why are so many children with parents living in an orphanage? The biggest single cause is poverty, followed by limited access to basic services, such as education and health care. Most children in orphanages today have at least one living parent, who gave them up in the belief an orphanage offers a better life. They’re wrong.
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Some fear parish consolidation could affect soup kitchens
- Associated Press, Church in the US
- July 5, 2017
The Archdiocese of Hartford has implemented a plan to consolidate 212 parishes into 127 new entities. The community at the parish of St. Anne – which did not survive the process – is questioning what will become of the parish’s flagship ministry, a soup kitchen. Parish staff, volunteers and soup kitchen guests say they have been told the soup kitchen will remain at the church “for the foreseeable future,” but that there are no guarantees as the planning process moves forward at the local level.
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Poverty, inequality in Latin America at unthinkable levels, pope says
- Catholic News Service, Vatican
- June 30, 2017
Founded in 1966, the Italian-Latin American International Organization seeks to increase “economic, social, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation” between Latin American countries and Italy. Commemorating the organization’s 50th anniversary, Pope Francis said that to achieve the goal of promoting development and cooperation, the organization must first identify the potential of Latin American countries, who are “rich in history, culture, natural resources” and “good and caring” people.
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