The World Day of the Poor is a
Roman Catholic observance, celebrated on the 33rd Sunday of
Ordinary Time since 2017. It was established by
Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter, ''Misericordia et Misera'', issued on 20 November 2016 to celebrate the end of the
Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Description
The World Day of the Poor was first observed on 19 November 2017, with the theme, "Let us love, not with words but with deeds".
In his message for that first World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis said that "the ''
Our Father
The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Go ...
'' is the prayer of the poor".
He held a special Mass in
St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by a free lunch in the adjacent Paul VI Hall, in several Catholic colleges, and in other
Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum
The Holy See
* The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...
venues. During the week preceding the World Day of the Poor, free specialized medical services were offered at a mobile clinic.
The day was also observed in other countries, including
India,
, and
Canada, with special Masses, free meals for the poor, and other initiatives.
In India, the
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
, Cardinal
Oswald Gracias
Oswald Gracias (born 24 December 1944) is an Indian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He was appointed Latin Church Archbishop of Bombay by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 October 2006 and was raised to the cardinalate in 2007. In 2008, he becam ...
, launched an "ACTS" (Actively Called to Serve) project, which involved distributing bags to parishes, in which people could donate food (e.g., grain or sugar) and toiletries for the poor. Cardinal Gracias said that “Our Lord gave us the striking example of simplicity and poverty in His own life. He taught His disciples to value poverty.”
In some Polish cities, the day was preceded by a "Week of the Poor", when some Catholics prayed for those in need and organized various forms of aid for them. In
Kraków, the services of a beautician and hairdresser were offered to the less fortunate, as were culinary, theatrical, and musical workshops. In
Poznań, film showings and meetings were organized at centers for the poor or
homeless, while at a "help bus" they could receive a warm
meal,
clothing, and
nursing assistance.
In Canada, the Archbishop of
Vancouver, J. Michael Miller, initiated a 4-day email prayer campaign for those in need, and encouraged conversations with the homeless, donations,
charitable help, visits to the
sick and to
prisoners, consolation of the
bereaved, and the giving of
alms
Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread practice in a number ...
to the poor.
References
External links
Message of His Holiness Pope Francis, Second World Day of the Poor, 18 November 2018, from the Vatican 13 June 2018
{{Liturgical year of the Catholic Church, state=collapsed
2017 in Christianity
Catholic devotions
Catholic holy days
Christian Sunday observances
Catholic social teaching