Option for the poor

The option for the poor or the preferential option for the poor is one of the basic principles of the Catholic Social Teaching tradition as articulated in the 20th century.

Theological significance

Jesus taught that on the Day of Judgment God will ask what each person did to help the poor and needy: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."^[1] This is reflected in Catholic canon law, which states, "The Christian faithful are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor."^[2].

According to said doctrine, through one's words, prayers and deeds one must show solidarity with, and compassion for, the poor. Therefore, when instituting public policy one must always keep the "preferential option for the poor" at the forefront of one's mind. Accordingly, this doctrine implies that the moral test of any society is "how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor have the most urgent moral claim on the conscience of the nation. We are called to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor."^[3].

Pope Benedict XVI has taught that “love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel”.^[4] This preferential option for the poor and vulnerable includes all who are marginalized in society, including unborn children, persons with disabilities, the elderly and terminally ill, and victims of injustice and oppression.

Origin and usage

The phrase "option for the poor" was used by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, Superior General of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1968 in a letter to the Jesuits of Latin America.

The principle was articulated by the Catholic Bishops of Latin America (CELAM) at the influential conferences in Medellin and Puebla, as well as by several popes, particularly Pope John Paul II.

Pope John Paul II's encyclical Centesimus Annus (1991) elaborates on the principle.^[5]

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church published by the Roman Curia summarizes the principle.^[6]

Liberation theology debate

In its origins, the concept was connected with the liberation theology movement of the mid-20th century. As a developed theological principle, the option for the poor was first articulated by Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P. in his landmark work, A Theology of Liberation (1971). Gutierrez asserts that the principle is rooted in both the Old and New Testaments and claims that a preferential concern for the physical and spiritual welfare of the poor is an essential element of the Gospel.

In August, 1984 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI, strongly criticized several arguments of the liberation theology movement.^[7]

Ratzinger asserted that Christ's teaching on the poor means that we will be judged when we die, and at the final judgement, with particular attention to how we personally have treated the poor.^[7]

On the other hand, Ratzinger argued that the liberation theologians contend that Christians must engage in a class struggle (in the Marxist sense) in the present to break down the gulf between rich and poor. As summarized by Cardinal Ratzinger, "The biblical concept of the poor provides a starting point for fusing the Bible's view of history with Marxist dialectic; it is interpreted by the idea of the proletariat in the Marxist sense and thus justifies Marxism as the legitimate hermaneutics for understanding the Bible."^[7]

Ratzinger wrote in 1986: "the special option for the poor, far from being a sign of particularism or sectarianism, manifests the universality of the Church's being and mission. This option excludes no one." All human beings are poor. All people need spiritual sustenance; some need material sustenance also.^[8]

References

1. ^ Matthew 25:40.
2. ^ 1983 CIC, canon 222 §2.
3. ^ Option for the Poor, Major themes from Catholic Social Teaching, Office for Social Justice, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
4. ^ Deus Caritas Est §22.
5. ^ Paragraph 57.
6. ^ Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Paragraphs 182-184.
7. ^ ^{a b c} The Ratzinger Report, by Vittorio Messori, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1985
8. ^ Ratzinger 1986: Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Instruction on Christian Freedom and Liberation. Official Vatican Translation from St. Paul Editions