Is the Church poor?
Speaking of the Archdiocese of Bombay, my late friend and mentor. Fr Larry Pereira once said, “There are no poor Churches.” This statement needs context. Larry, as I called him since my youth, was an expert in his own right in ‘local’ Church History and even more had the power of observation and a memory to match it. His interventions at clergy meetings were insightful, based on reality and peppered with humour. If Larry stood up to speak at a clergy meeting, the house listened and often erupted into what many might consider an ‘unclergy-like chuckle,’ for his tongue-in-cheek comments. He spoke truth to power and truth to his companions, as he did with me.
Larry did not make this statement lightly. Having served as Youth Director for the Archdiocese of Bombay, he opted to work in the missions. He spent the next eight-odd years in Kalamboli which back then was just being urbanized. He took the state transport bus and never owned even a motorbike much less a four-wheeler. He did however come from a very affluent family and we would often ask him in jest to share a ‘thin slice’ of his property with us. From this context, he said, “There are no poor Churches in the Archdiocese of Bombay.”
Larry did not for a minute discount poverty or the fact that many Catholics in the Archdiocese of Bombay struggle to eke out a living. In effect, what he did by often making this statement, was to challenge the Church to be more Christ-like in its giving.
Several years ago, the former finance minister of India, P. Chidambaram added several clauses to the functioning of charitable trusts. One of them demanded that charitable trusts spend 85 per cent of their annual income within the financial year. At a meeting with the clergy, the Archbishop of Bombay agreed wholeheartedly with the principle. He said, that by its nature, charitable trusts were created to assist in charity and not hoard cash deposits in the bank. If money is collected in the name of charity, then why is it not spent? And if we make a case for ‘saving for a rainy day’ then we throw the providence of God out of the window!
As former priest-in-charge of a small community of believers at St Jude Church, Malad East, I found myself ‘shepherding’ a congregation of 800 souls. A majority of these wonderful people were financially challenged and a Sunday collection never exceeded Rs 3000/- a week; two of which were sent to the Bishop’s House.
On making a representation for the needy in my parish to the archdiocese, its then financial administrator and also the present administrator (then an assistant) with the consent of the Archbishop, stepped up to the plate providing educational, medical and pastoral assistance on a project basis. Accountability was crucial to this process and only a scrutinized utilization certificate would see the next project passed. Anyone who chooses to ask on behalf of the poor will receive but must be ready for accountability. Checks and balances must be in place.
The Archdiocese of Bombay under the brilliant mind of Bishop Percival Fernadez (who baptized me, gave me my first communion and then inducted me as priest-in-charge) created a corpus fund to help Catholics in the Archdiocese of Bombay when in need of medical assistance. He did not want to see a catholic running helter-skelter when strapped for funds in medical emergencies.
He sent in place a simple but effective procedure to help the needy. The parish priest was to render immediate assistance from the community welfare fund. Half that amount would be reimbursed to the parish by the archdiocese. If the need arose and more financial assistance was required, the parish priest had but to write (with supporting documents) to the archdiocese. I can tell you that when I appealed for help in three such cases, the archdiocese sanctioned rupees five lakhs each.
Having said that, this corpus must grow as the interest of the corpus has to be scattered over a year. Bishop Percy does not need a reward. He who humbly washes his car and drives himself and long ran a premier Medical School has seen and understood pain and poverty. He saw and acted and to quote to him his often-said words to others, “God bless you!”
St Jude’s did not have much financially. It did however have generous souls. To meet the weekly quota of food grains for the needy, parishioners, many of whom themselves struggled, would wrap up the last hundred odd grams of grain, sugar, flour or rice in their kitchen and drop it in a box at the start of the mass for someone less fortunate. Offertory, at St Jude’s, began before the mass.
Poverty must not and should not be glorified. It needs to be addressed intellectually and pastorally in every parish. A Bishop once said to me that he sensed that some of his priests were not generous in caring for the poor and needy during the COVID period. Many middle-class Catholics slipped silently into poverty during this time. Here is my contention and perhaps a rather controversial one for some. If a bishop is forced to act against a priest for sexual misconduct or failure to perform sacramental duties, should he not act swiftly when the scandal of poverty is not addressed in a parish?
I am sure some will argue, “Have you not heard of the pride of the poor?” Ahh, but then the rich have no pride? Is it? Poverty cannot be condoned and Churches must respond and must do more to bring dignity to the lives of members of their congregation. If we are still debating on how many packets of food we need to give to a family and have not deliberated on how to educate their children or give them a home with dignity, then our pastoral care is lopsided. Even ‘The Master’ gave more than crumbs from his table!
There are many, who reading this article will begin with their ‘what aboutery’ or even more deliberating on issues such as, “is this the forum to address such matters? I have raised these and other issues at general and private forums. I often feel I am barking up at any tree much less the wrong one.
These articles are written to stimulate thought and growth within the Church. If we cannot be open to listening to viewpoints and want to hush every issue under the carpet then we are truly a POOR church and that poverty is the worst.
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
Thanks for this thought-provoking article, Fr. I’ve often wondered what is done with the near 1 lakh collected in my parish every Sunday. I should ask my parish priest. Building a corpus to help the needy in the parish is an excellent idea, and worth pursuing in every parish. That way we would be emulating the early Christians.
Well said, true to the core,have endured too in my former parish Accountability in all sphere is needed, the concept of community welfare fund introduction in 2004 was progressive and constructive step. Rare to find in action Mind of Jesus, called to serve and not to be served. Father all depends on attitude and mindset,seen your work both in suburbs and city, South Bombay. It takes courage to answer a call (this hymn lyrics are inspiration), Harvest is great, labourers are few yet in each one capacity they reach out to marginalised. Remember Fr Larry when I was at Yuvathi Sharon,Prabhadevi I was inspired by his forward thinking and genuineness,, from 1988-93, a gem of a person, he had depth to what he opined. I would say this what action we take today is for present and future. No offense, no debate, let’s show empathy and be like early Christian,common concern diocese, clergy and laity put together.
Very true and well said. Providing food and education besides primary housing for the poor and needy should be the main aim of all those who want to do charity in any form.
Just curious, did you plan to publish this yesterday father or is it just coincidence (or rather Providence) that your message pretty much lines up with yesterday’s second reading?
St. Basil the Great has some really strong words that are in the same vein as the last few sections of your post.
“Who is the covetous man? One for whom plenty is not enough. Who is the defrauder? One who takes away what belongs to everyone. And are not you covetous, are not you a defrauder, when you keep for private use what you were given for distribution? When some one strips a man of his clothes we call him a thief. And one who might clothe the naked and does not–should not he be given the same name? The bread in your hoard belongs to the hungry; the cloak in your wardrobe belongs to the naked; the shoes you let rot belong to the barefoot; the money in your vaults belongs to the destitute. All you might help and do not–to all these you are doing wrong…. Though you have not killed, like you say, nor committed adultery, nor stolen, nor borne false witness, you make all of this useless unless you add the only thing which can allow you to enter the kingdom…. If it is true that you have kept the law of charity from your childhood, as you claim, and that you have done as much for others as for yourself, then where does all your wealth come from? Care for the poor absorbs all available resources…. So whoever loves his neighbor as himself owns no more than his neighbor does. But you have a great fortune. How can this be, unless you have put your own interests before those of others?…. I know many people who fast, pray, groan, and do any kind of pious work that doesn’t affect their pockets, but at the same time they give nothing to the needy. What good are their merits? The Kingdom of Heaven is closed to them. Every time I go into the home of one of these foolish rich people, resplendent with ornaments, I notice that for its owner there is nothing more precious than visible goods, which deck him out according to his pleasure, but that he despises his soul. I wonder then what great benefit this silver furniture and ivory chairs can be producing while all these hoarded riches are not passed to the poor, who in their multitudes cry in misery at the gates of rich men’s houses.”
St. John Chrysostom has several homilies that are similar in nature since he had to speak to the rich in his own day.
The other day at a signal there was a blind woman begging. The first person to give to her was another man who was himself visibly poor. That really convicted me. He understood poverty so he was willing to give to someone who was poorer than him.
Very well said. The Church can easily empower the most vulnerable laity with dignity and co responsibility.
I FULLY AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS POTTYPADRE!
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS NOT POOR. ACCOUNTABLITY TO THE PARISHIONERS IS ABSENT.
SOME PRIESTS (IN GENERAL) ARE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR profession, HENCE LOOSE THEIR EMPATHY FOR THE POOR OR ARE TOO LAZY TO SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM THEIR HIGHER COMMAND TO HELP THEIR PARISHIONERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING. IT IS ONLY WHEN ONE LIVES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THAT ONE EXPERIENCES THE LOCAL REALITY. IT IS A CRIME NOT TO HELP IF ONE HAS THE POWER TO DO SO AND ITS….FREE!