God has not forgotten the poor. He has not forgotten the poor in Africa and the poor all over the world. God blesses those who show concern for the poor. The Psalmist says “Happy the man who has concern for the helpless. The Lord will save him in time of trouble. The Lord protects him and gives him life, making him secure in the Land.” Christians should try to claim that wonderful blessing from God. As Christians, we should know the gifts the Church has from time immemorial. The Church cares for the poor, the orphans and widows. Right from the history of the Old Testament, God condemned those who oppressed the poor. Amos spoke about those who trampled upon the poor. You all know what happened to Jezebel; the wife of Ahab, how she convinced her husband to take the land belonging to Naboth- a poor man. When she died, dogs leaked her blood on the ground. That was a tragic death of a wife of a King who was equivalent to a first Lady in a modern world of today.
In his time, Micah condemned the rich who oppressed the poor in their land as Cardinal Okogie condemns the system of injustice that creates poverty. Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa also helped to liberate South Africa from the bondage of poverty and politics in time of Apartheid. In a society, the problems of the poor can be lessened with a just system. The Church creates an awareness of injustice and oppression. The church speaks about the structures of the society that create poverty. She points her finger at them. Through these means, there will be a new courage that will awaken people to real liberation in the souls of men and in the structures of the society. As priests raise their voices against injustice that wounds their flocks. It is through this way that our leaders will begin to think and our men of action begin to act. In our time, theology has become a liberation theology and many Pastors have become martyrs because they defend the poor. Oscar Ray Murray, an Archbishop says “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint and when I ask why they have no food they call me a politician”.
When the Church confronts the structures that create poverty, they say the church should not be involved in politics. What is politics? When a politician tells us in his speeches that he is on the side of the people, that he is only in politics to improve their living conditions, we give him our votes. After winning, he forgets us and divorces himself from us. He looks at us with half-closed eyes and with pride that hurts. All of us are involved to care for the poor. If we continue to see our church as the church of the poor, we will succeed in creating a better world for them. We will come to know that it is not enough to recall principles, state intentions, point to crying injustices and utter prophetic denunciations with action. These words will lack real weight unless they are accompanied with action. Before we send people to St. Vincent de Paul Society or any other charitable society, we must do something first to help them regain their dignity and self-esteem. It is too easy to throw back on others responsibility for injustices without one knowing that he is a part of it.
Today we must show concern for the poor of our Parishes. The local Ordinaries should continue to tell the priests that the apostolate of the poor is our concern and that is why the church is a sanctuary for the poor. The poor should be empowered to be masters of their destiny and not be at the receiving end every time which diminishes them.
• Very Rev. Msgr. Livinus Ukah is a Catholic Priest, Author of many books and a Social Justice and Peace Advocate
