Series: Mission & Money: A Truly Poor Church

In many of his pronouncements, Pope Francis has constantly clamored for a “church of the poor.” Although many members of the clergy and laity are beginning to follow the Holy Father’s lead, many are still confused about which direction the Church should take because of the existing structures and values within the Church. Only with an overhaul and reorientation of these values can the Pope’s dream of a truly poor church be eventually realized.

In a highly-capitalistic society such as ours, it seems that making a profit is the end-goal of everyone who possesses money. History has been witness to this, prompting even the major religions to lay down rules to discourage profiteering. It is, therefore, very odd to encounter persons or groups who lend out money to the needy, even without profit. However, keeping at heart the things that matter the most in this world, as Jesus continually reminds us in the Gospels, helps us to see money,
not through greedy eyes, but through the economics of faith.

Money, as depicted in media, is the root of evil. Even Jesus, during His public ministry, went head on against the evils of money. Money, however, has a positive side to it, especially if it is used to feed the hungry and to aid those who need it the most. Digging deeper into Jesus’ teachings helps us to understand that it is not the evil of money itself that we are up against, but our desire to accumulate more, as well as our failure to distinguish what matters more in life… and after this life.