Cardinal Jose Advincula of Manila reminded members of the clergy in his archdiocese to reflect on their lifestyle and help the poor, especially those affected by the pandemic and calamities.
“The World Day of the Poor comes this year as a healthy challenge, helping us to reflect on our style of life and on the many forms of poverty all around us,” said the prelate over Radio Veritas 846.
The Catholic Church observes the World Day of the Poor on November 13.
Cardinal Advincula said the archdiocese has been implementing programs through its Commission on Social Services and Development that aims to provide aid to poor families in the capital.
“This is our response to the growing number of people in the streets as they lost jobs and family members due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the prelate.
“We hope to lead them to experience God’s love and care,” he said, adding that parishes will be providing bath, haircut, medical mission, healthy meals, food packs in the coming days.
On Sunday, the Church marks the Sixth World Day of the Poor under the theme “For your sakes Christ became poor,” drawn from the words of the Apostle Paul to the first Christians in Corinth.
The Day was established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Misericordia et Miser” to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Since 2017 it has been celebrated every year on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time and aims to encourage the Church to “go out” into the streets to encounter poverty in its different forms.
In this year’s message for the Day, Pope Francis reminds everyone that from the very early times of the Church, attention to the needs of the poor was a feature of the Christian community.
As in the previous observances, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with the participation of the poor and other faithful who wish to take part.
At the end of the celebration, 1,300 poor people will be offered a festive meal in the Paul VI Hall.
In the lead-up to the celebration, the Dicastery for Evangelization, which has been charged by the pope to promote the event, has organized various initiatives in the Vatican and in Rome that will be carried out throughout the week.
