In a world increasingly defined by metrics and algorithms, the human person can easily be reduced to a data point. This is perhaps most tragically true for the poor, who are often discussed in terms of statistics, poverty lines, and percentages. Yet, the Catholic Church, through the World Day of the Poor, offers a radical counter-narrative. Established in 2017 by Pope Francis to perpetuate the spirit of the Jubilee of Mercy, this day challenges the faithful to move from abstraction to encounter, from charity to justice, and from pity to transformative hope.

The first and most fundamental step in this mission is a shift in perception. Pope Francis has repeatedly implored us to “set statistics aside,” arguing that “the poor are not statistics to cite when boasting of our works and projects. The poor are persons to be encountered” (Message for the 3rd World Day of the Poor, §9). This aligns with the profound insights of Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, who reframed poverty not as mere “lowness of income,” but as a “deprivation of basic capabilities.” Poverty, in this light, is the crushing of human potential—the restriction of freedom and the stifling of dreams. When we see a person living in poverty, we are not looking at a number, but at a human being whose God-given capacities are being systematically constrained. They are, as Pope Francis writes, “lonely, young and old, to be invited to our homes to share a meal; men women and children who look for a friendly word” (Message, 3rd WDP, §9).

While providing material aid—food, clothing, shelter—is a necessary and urgent work of mercy, the Church calls us to something deeper. The ultimate need of the human heart is not met by a transaction, but by relationship. Pope Francis clarifies that while the poor come to us for food, “what they really need is more than our offer of a warm meal or a sandwich. The poor need our hands, to be lifted up; our hearts, to feel anew the warmth of affection; our presence, to overcome loneliness. In a word, they need love” (Message, 3rd WDP, §9). This echoes the experiences of countless ministers, like Deacon Robert Kinghorn of “Church on the Street,” who observed that beyond physical necessities, the poor deeply crave friendship, a listening ear, and a sense of belonging. This fundamental need to be accepted and heard is the bridge that connects all humanity, calling us beyond mere charity to genuine solidarity.

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This mission is rooted not in sociology, but in Christology. The Church’s preferential option for the poor is founded on the startling truth of the Incarnation. As articulated by

Pope Leo XIV in his recent exhortation, In Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), “Christ himself became poor, and that therefore we can see Christ in all those who are poor in our world today.” This is the lens through which figures like Saint Mother Teresa operated. Seeing the words “I thirst” beside the crucifix in her chapels, she and her sisters served the destitute and dying with the conviction that in tending to the wounds of the poorest of the poor, they were literally tending to the wounds of Christ Himself. This perspective transforms service from an act of pity into an act of worship and communion.

Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV expands this concept by presenting the poor not merely as passive recipients of aid, but as “protagonists of hope” (Message for the 9th World Day of the Poor). Their hope, forged in the crucible of suffering and rooted in God, stands as a powerful witness to the world. He urges us to “be particularly attentive to those who are most marginalised in our society and listen to the wisdom that only they can offer” (In Dilexi te). By their lives and their faith, the poor challenge our complacency and put us in contact with the stark truth of the Gospel.

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The logical conclusion of this theology is a call to action that addresses both immediate need and root causes. Personal encounter must be coupled with a commitment to justice. Pope Leo XIV emphasizes that “poverty has structural causes that must be addressed and eliminated” (Message, 9th WDP). He explicitly calls for the development of policies to combat poverty and champions the role of institutions like hospitals, schools, and shelters as “effective signs of hope.”

This work inevitably requires a prophetic voice. Pope Leo boldly states the “need for us to raise our voices to call for an end to unjust structures and systems which keep people poor, even if others consider us foolish or naïve” (In Dilexi te). This echoes the ancient wisdom of St. Augustine, who noted, “You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better if none were hungry so that you would have no need to give it” (In Iohannis Evangelium Tractatus, 8, 5). Helping the poor is a matter of justice before it is a question of charity.

Are We with the Poor?

Jesus’s statement, “The poor you will always have with you” (Matthew 26:11), has often been misconstrued as passive acceptance. The World Day of the Poor reframes it as a poignant, personal question for every Christian and every community: “The poor are always with us. But are we with the poor?”

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The challenge is clear. We are called to be a “Church on the Street,” ensuring that when our brothers and sisters in need knock on the doors of our hearts and our communities, they find not just aid, but a true welcome. They must find a place where they belong, where their hope is nourished, and where their God-given dignity is affirmed. In answering this call, we do not simply offer hope to the poor; we encounter the hope they embody—the hope of Christ, who in becoming poor, forever enriched the world.

Prakash Anthony Lohale, OP, is a Dominican friar with a Licentiate in Spirituality from the Angelicum in Rome.