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An Introduction to the Principles of Catholic Social Thought The Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable Positive signs in the contemporary world are the growing awareness of the solidarity of the poor among themselves, their efforts to support one another, and their public demonstrations on the social scene which, without recourse to violence, present their own needs and rights in the face of the inefficiency or corruption of public authorities. By virtue of her own evangelical duty the Church feels called to take her stand beside the poor, to discern the justice of their requests, and to help satisfy them, without losing sight of the good of groups in the context of the common good. (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, para. 39) As followers of Christ, we are challenged to make a preferential option for the poor, namely, to create conditions for marginalized voices to be heard, to defend the defenseless, and to assess lifestyles, policies and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor. The option for the poor does not mean pitting one group against another, but rather, it calls us to strengthen the whole community by assisting those who are most vulnerable. From the Scriptures we learn that the justice of a society is tested and judged by its treatment of the poor. Gods covenant with Israel was dependant on the way the community treated the poor and unprotectedthe widow, the orphan and the stranger (Deut. 16.11-12, Ex. 22.21-27, Isa. 1.16-17). Throughout Israels history and in the New Testament, the poor are agents of Gods transforming power. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims that he has been anointed to bring good news to the poor (4.1-22). Similarly, in the Last Judgment, we are told that we will be judged according to how we respond to the hungry, the thirsty, the prisoner and the stranger (Matthew 25.31-46). Therefore, the preferential option for the poor is not optional. The Latin American bishops conferences at Medilln (1968) and Puebla (1979) aimed to emphasize the use of option as a verb rather than as a noun. As such, each Christian must make a choice to lift up the poor and disadvantaged in very real and concrete ways. Preferential option for the poor means that Christians are called to look at the world from the perspective of the marginalized and to work in solidarity for justice.

For Wednesday Schedule. To be pass to the president for keeping. Thank you, God. Bless! In one whole sheet of paper answer the questions below: Questions for reflection: 1. The Bishops Pastoral on the U.S. Economy states, Followers of Christ must avoid a tragic separation between faith and everyday lifeeconomic life is one of the chief areas where we live out our faith [and] love our neighbor. In what ways ought we manage our economic resources as faithful Christians? In what ways are you conscious of those who are economically poor or disadvantaged? 2. What are some very concrete ways that you can make a preferential option for the poor? 3. Are we collectively responsible for the conditions of poverty both locally and globally? What can you do both directly and indirectly to work for change? Introduction to the Principles of Catholic Social Thought

Stewardship and Care for Creation Christian love forbids choosing between people and the planet. It urges us to work for an equitable and sustainable future in which all peoples can share in the bounty of the earth and in which the earth itself is protected from predatory use. The common good invites regions of the country to share burdens equitablyIt also invites us to

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explore alternatives in which our poor brothers and sisters will share with the rest of us in the banquet of life, at the same time that we preserve and restore the earth, which sustains us. (Renew the Earth, Section 4, para.C)

There is a solidarity among all creatures arising from the fact that all have the same Creator and are ordered to glory and worship of the Creator. Humanitys dominion over inanimate and other living beings is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his or her neighbor, including generations to come. As such, the steward is a manager, not an owner. Accordingly, use of the mineral, vegetable and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from our moral responsibilities. Our stewardship of the earth enables us to be participants in Gods act of creating and sustaining the world.

Studies on the state of environmental justice in this country cite race as a predictor of who bears a disproportionate burden of environmental degradation in the U.S. These studies state that, African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders are among the highly vulnerable populations most susceptible to the injustices of racism, poverty, and environmental degradation.

Likewise, the conditions of the poor are often closely connected to environmental issues. In Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope John Paul II argues that the direct or indirect result of industrialization is frequently the pollution of the environment, which often has serious consequences to the health and well-being of the poorest members of society. Moreover, the overuse of natural resources by the West endangers their long and short-term availability, especially for the poor. Authentic development seeks to make a preferential option for the poor in the same way that it aims to care for creation.

For Friday Class Schedule: Write your answer in one whole sheet of paper and submit to the president for keeping Questions for Reflection: 1. What does Leviticus 25.2-4, 10-12 say concerning stewardship, and how can we relate those principles to the environmental issues we encounter today? 2. In what ways can we hold corporate and government entities responsible for the ways they have abused the environment, even if those practices have made basic necessities and luxury items available at a lower cost to the consumer (e.g. heat, water, transportation)? Should the consumer be held to the same standards? If so, what are the implications?

An Introduction to the Principles of Catholic Social Thought Subsidiarity One should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry. So, too, it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right order to transfer to the larger and higher collectivity functions which can be performed and provided for by lesser and subordinate bodies. For every social activity should, by its very nature, prove a help to the members of the body social, it should never destroy or absorb them. (Quadragesimo anno, para. 79)

Regulating the movement from marginalization to participation for the sake of the common good is the principle of subsidiarity. This principle warns about the tendency of the state and other large scale institutions to usurp authority to control persons, thereby destroying individual liberty and initiative. The notion of subsidiarity is that activities or functions ought to be accomplished by the most local of smallest grouping possible, rather than be assumed by the larger groups or collectivity. In Quadragesimo Anno, Pius XI explicitly makes the principle of subsidiarity the guiding norm upon which the social order is to be restored. Just as it is gravely wrong to take from individuals what they can accomplish by their own initiative and industry and give it to the community, so also it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and disturbance of the right order to assign to a greater or higher association what a lesser and subordinate organizations can do.

The main effect of this principle is to limit the role of the state and other large scale institutions while empowering local efforts. But those needs which cannot be effectively addressed at a local level should be referred to at the next highest level of organization. This principle was initially used to protect individuals and groups, but more recently it has been employed to define the relationship between particular nation-states and worldwide public authorities.

Reflection2: At the back of the paper on Solidarity write your answers to the following Questions : 1. What do you learn about subsidiarity from the example described by Andrea Mechenbier? 2. Was giving states control of welfare reform a good decision by the federal government? Why or why not? 3. Give an example of subsidiarity being violated. Reference : centerforsocialconcerns.nd.ed

Additional reading regarding Preferential Option for the Poor Read and Understand the following article: POVERTY AND PREFERENTIAL OPTION FOR THE POOR Poverty as a Complex Reality In general, the term poverty is used without much thought. The meaning of the term is obvious: the unfulfillment of basic needs, very low income or life below the poverty line. Similarly, poor people are: the homeless, beggars, street vendors, daily laborers, and the like. Observation almost always shows that the problem of poverty has so many aspects and dimensions, from moral to mental, that it is not easy to identify and determine proper criteria about poverty. Consequently, it is not always easy either to identify who the poor are. This means that the term preferential option for the poor is not in itself clear because it very much depends on ones perception of poverty. It is necessary to first see how the problem of poverty is measured and explained by social scientists. Besides, it can be questioned how far theological reflection can rely on such understanding of poverty and which dimensions of faith, if any, can deepen our views about poverty, or more precisely, the positions and role of the poor. Poverty from the Viewpoint of the Social Sciences From Micro to Macro Approaches

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Poverty is first of all a concrete experience and a problem at the micro level as is generally obvious from observation. Many symptoms of poverty and injustice can be spontaneously seen and considered. If we talk about poverty, we may easily forget that poverty in the concrete means people with names and faces just like us. However, to prevent the problem, it is necessary to see if the problem is observed in various places and what percentage of the society are poor. In other words, we may not neglect the macro perspective of the problem. The distinction between the two approaches is important also for the struggle against poverty. A serious problem cannot be overcome only at the micro or macro level. At all levels, action is needed as a sincere and serious effort to eradicate poverty. Though both commitment at the grass root level and policies coming from national politics have important functions, there should be a strong intention to eradicate poverty using the most efficient methods. The more people we help by our efforts, the better. Every person and group should try with all their talents and means. In that way, the danger of the poor being treated as the object of charity can be avoided. Absolute and Relative Poverty In the social sciences there is a distinction between absolute poverty and relative poverty though both are interrelated. Absolute poverty means that the primary basic needs such as food, clothing, home, health (water and sanitation), proper work and basic education are not met, let alone secondary needs such as the right to participation, recreation or a favorable living environment (cf. Development as Prevention Against Human Suffering in Chapter 7). Thus, the poor live in obvious misery. The most extreme form of poverty is hunger, which can lead to death. The poor may die sooner if inflicted with a disease because of their poor physical condition. Therefore, absolute poverty must be eradicated. Relative poverty involves national income distribution. There is a shocking difference among various levels or classes of the society. Therefore, people are deemed poor if compared with the wealthy. In general, particularly in developing countries, those with relative poverty also suffer from absolute poverty. However, in a prosperous society it is not uncommon to find people with relative poverty who can meet their basic needs. Therefore, the problem of just distribution is more urgent in situations where there are a lot of people suffering from absolute poverty. Generally, their basic needs can be met if there is a just distribution. If the problem of poverty is merely relative, distribution may perhaps also be an ethical demand but only for a different reason. To illustrate the above, a model of an income pyramid in developing countries might help. This is just a simple model and offers only a rough estimation: - 3% are the wealthy and usually have the power. - 17% belong to the middle class who can meet more than their needs rich. and are generally considered relatively

- 40% have just enough and so they can meet their basic needs though they are always in danger of suffering from absolute poverty if a disaster (disease, accident, unemployment and the like) strikes them. - 40% suffer from absolute poverty and cannot maintain a proper life condition. and have little chance to be freed from this

The sharpest and the most unbreakable boundary line in this model lies between the two first upper groups which consist of at most 20% of the population, and the two lower groups which consist of 80 to 90% of the population. The two lower groups live in relative poverty while the lowest group lives in absolute poverty. The poverty line between those who live differently and the poor is thin, which means that people in the upper levels can easily drop into a lower one. These two categories of poverty is one of the biggest problems we have to face today. People living in absolute poverty now number 1.2 billion. This is more than 20% of the worlds population. Most live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. However, in many other countries, even the very prosperous ones, there are also poor people. The global problem of absolute poverty are closely related with the reality of the increasing gap between the North and the South and also between the West and the East (where the Soviet Union used to show its hegemony). But the

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gap between the rich and the poor in many developing countries, often much wider than that in developed countries, has its share in the cause of poverty. Therefore, a kind of global distribution, namely a giant effort to narrow the gap between the prosperous and the poor countries, is needed. Still, any effort would fail and be in vain if it is not accompanied by just distribution in the third world. Qualitative Dimension of Absolute Poverty Poverty has many different faces and what is experienced or observed depends very much on the angle of observation and the intensity of commitment. Poverty can be ignored because it is not pleasant to see. This attitude facilitates the justification (legitimating) of poverty as the poors own fault and is an ever-present eternal problem. Poverty can also be seen as a problem of investigation or an opportunity to do good, without any intention to involve oneself personally. Further, poverty can be experienced as a concern and challenge by those brave enough to enter it, at least for a given period of time. This last attitude, assumed for example in a live-in program, can pave the way for a serious commitment to eradicate poverty. Finally, poverty is experienced by the poor as a daily life and struggle. This is the most important observation. For the poor, poverty is like a fate with no way out. Only they themselves know how to lead a poor life. The experience of poverty in its core can be only imagined. As explained before, poverty is suffering in many different forms and dimensions. Shortage of goods, though never ignorable, is not always the real problem. Racial discrimination, for example, can be experienced as a contempt of human dignity and is much more hurting. That is the experience of the black people and other isolated ethnic groups. However, perhaps we observe the common and most severe characteristics in all forms of poverty: the experience of powerlessness and dependency. The poor live as if in an insurmountable high-walled prison, from which one cannot even look outside. They live in imprisonment almost without any hope. They do not have any other experience except poverty. They have no education, which can open their eyes, no power, no connection, and no capital. If they try to improve themselves, they will meet various hindrances and obstacles. There is a big difference between those who suffer temporarily, such as war victims or those who are lacking in their needs but still have a hope to recover because of the help from families, friends, or their own education, and those who are born and perhaps will die in poverty. It should be realized that those who for some period of time voluntarily live among the poor cannot become poor in the real sense because, however great such an attitude is, they have experienced another sort of life, know the way out and usually can leave the situation if they wish. It should be mentioned that even they can only imagine what true poverty is like. In facing poverty and particularly the poor themselves there are various attitudes as mentioned above. There may be a hostile attitude, which ignores and underestimates the poor, an indifferent attitude, which belittles the poor, and a sensitive and caring attitude, which is willing to help them. However, the last attitude can be misleading and dangerous if not supported by a healthy realism. We should pay attention to the above, but it should be realized that the poor are basically ordinary human beings, neither better nor worse than others, including us. Therefore, an attitude which mythologizes the poor should be avoided too because an unrealistic attitude can easily change and become a big disappointment or even hostile if the bad aspect of the poverty reality is discovered. Nonetheless, absolute poverty ravaging in our present world is in fact a scandal because it should not happen. The distribution of the worlds wealth is extremely uneven. Thus, what we observe is relative poverty. In the past, poverty was a sort of fate too. Nowadays, humankind has the means to overcome it if only we are willing to do so. Ways of Measuring Poverty Measuring poverty is a problem too difficult to be comprehensively discussed here, particularly if the non-physical dimension is taken into account. However, totally theoretical statements about poverty pose the danger of hiding the reality. Therefore, in the following there will at least be some general guidelines. There are various data, which may help one obtain a general picture of the extent of absolute poverty, unemployment rates, infant mortality rates, illiteracy rates, purchasing power, and the income percentage spent on

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food. A pretty reliable picture can be obtained if various criteria are combined as has been done since 1990 in Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Program. Absolute poverty can be measured based on the poverty line, which indicates the minimum income to meet daily basic needs. In Indonesia we have the minimum physical needs as the criterion. These will soon be changed with the minimum living needs. The estimate is between Rp 1500 to Rp 3000 per day/capita, or Rp 50.000 to Rp 100.000 per month/capita. Of course, the rate in Jakarta is much higher than that in a remote village. Similarly, a single person needs more than a person with a family. To discover the number of people living below the poverty line, their income, both in the form of money and others (allowance, subsistence production, and household products) must be calculated. Because of the difficulty in obtaining reliable data about them, it is also difficult to estimate the number of absolutely poor people. Some say there were around 30 million, some even said 100 million, out of 190 million Indonesians were desperately poor in 1993. Those figures are quite high and can increase if the development results are not evenly distributed. Because of the complexity above, perhaps it is easier to discuss the micro level. The minimum wage determined by the government, for example, often meets only 50% of the minimum physical needs. The minimum wage, particularly that for women, is also often disobeyed by the employers. Similarly, the poors income in the observed location can be estimated and compared with those on the poverty line. To measure relative poverty, the most common way is the division of the population into five groups, each of which consists of 20% of the population. How much of the national income is received by the poorest 20% is calculated, and so on with each of the other divisions. In many countries the poorest 20% receive less than 10% of the national income, while the wealthiest 20% receive 50%. The comparison between the lowest and the highest wage, which in developed countries is around 1 to 12 and in Indonesia 1 to 50, is also an indicator. Besides, the income pyramid shown earlier (see Absolute and Relative Poverty in Chapter 8) can also give a general picture. In this relation, we suggest to compare the per capita expense per month of a participant in a social theology study group with that of other groups, particularly the poor in the observed location (see Guides on Analyzing an Editorial in Chapter 4) in order that the discussion be a little more concrete. An aspect deserving special attention is the inequality of income distribution among different groups or regions. The gap is generally found between the urban areas and the rural ones, the prosperous, the isolated and the poor, between men and women, among certain jobs and so forth. This condition often yields a situation in which some individuals, among the poor, live in a worse condition. They suffer from a double absolute poverty. Such can be found among poor women and isolated tribes in many places in India and Latin America. They are really the poorest among the poor. The Notion of Preferential Option for the Poor The Poor in the Bible In Chapter 7 we reflected on the meaning of the Reign of God in the discussion about development from the viewpoint of social ethics. Seeing the reality of poverty described in Poverty From the Viewpoint of the Social Sciences in Chapter 8, in the following we will reflect more about the meaning of the Reign of God for the poor and also about preferential option for the poor. Many descriptions about the poor and poverty can be found in the Bible. In the Old Testament the relation between God and the poor is conspicuously described. God cares for, protects and defends the poor and the miserable. We read about the anawim, who relied only on God. Submission to, reliance on, and trust in God were not independent from the real poverty and suffering they endured. They were really poor, materially and physically. God showed mercy to the poor, the weak, orphans, widows and refugees. They laid their hope in God alone. In the Gospel the relation between the poor and Jesus is conspicuous. The poor faced by Jesus were those who were physically, economically, socially, politically and religiously poor. They were in the frontline, as the addressees of Jesus good news. The Jews in Jesus time were ruled and oppressed by the Roman imperialists. The suffering of the poor was also experienced in the form of sickness. Jesus was close to the sick, to the forgotten marginal people who

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did not have any voice in the political life. They were poor in the real sense, physically and materially, and thus socially alienated. Included among those socially poor were people who were separated and kept away from social life because they were considered sinners. To the sinners Jesus did not bring justice, but forgiveness. Jesus was close to those experiencing religious poverty. Jesus brought alternatives for new life so that all forms of poverty can be eradicated. As a result, the old world, specifically represented by the religious and political authorities who wanted to maintain their status quo, rejected and killed him. Jesus brought a new alternative to overcome all forms and dimensions of poverty and as a result, he died as the poorest among the poor. However, God resurrected him from the dead and the murder of Jesus did not destroy what he had begun. If now we talk about the Reign of God for the poor, we talk about the poor like those faced by Jesus, with the aspects of poverty similar to those observed in the above perspectives of the social sciences. Through Jesus and in Jesus the poor and the suffering experience the signs of the arrival of Gods Reign, namely God who is present, acts, and shows compassionate power to save them. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them (Lk 7:22). Luke described the life and mission of Jesus directed to the poor as seen in the following: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor. (Lk 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1-2) In the life of Jesus, the proclamation of word is united with the proclamation of action. Therefore, the words describing the life and mission of Jesus are continued with the following: Today the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Lk 4:21). The proclamation of the Reign of God is an actual happening as the day and event of salvation. The proclamation of God is not only a verbal but also an actual movement.

The above passages tell us that the poor and the suffering feel the presence of God. God does not abandon them. God is present in their suffering and difficulties. In their meeting with Jesus, they have undergone change. The beginning of the Reign of God has started. Therefore, they need not be hopeless since now they have hope. Theological Reflection on the Preferential Option for the Poor In the parable about the good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37), it is obvious that prioritizing the powerless is a form of love for neighbors. The question of a teacher of the Law who are my neighbors has been answered by Jesus: Who was the neighbor of a person who fell into the hand of robbers, was robbed, beaten and left half dead? He was not a priest or a Levite considered holy by the society, but a Samaritan, who was regarded as an unbeliever, yet showed charity and mercy. Loving ones neighbors means becoming a friend of the half-dead, the powerless, and the helpless. The preferential option (love) for the poor is the manifestation of love for the neighbors as shown by Jesus. Through Jesus all human beings experience Gods power and love manifested through preferential option for the poor, the suffering, the half-dead, the powerless, and the neediest. A question may arise: Does it mean that the

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wealthy are not included in the love and power of God? Or, does it mean that the wealthy receive less preference? Is preferential option for the poor not against Gods universal salvation plan? Doesnt God want to save everyone? A new society, permeated with a kind of sisterhood and brotherhood, where the gap between the rich and the poor is bridged (Acts 4:32-34), has begun. It has emerged and centered around Jesus. The murder of Jesus did not destroy what he had started. In the life of Jesus or of the community, which developed from the Jesus event, the rich have not been excluded from Gods salvation plan. Salvation comes to them if they participate in bridging the gap separating them from the poor so that the sisterhood and brotherhood of all human beings can be developed. In the Gospel we find an example of how Zacchaeus, a rich man, met Jesus and the meeting changed his life (Lk 19:1-10). In the parable about the good Samaritan we see that loving neighbors as desired and performed by Jesus means becoming a friend of the people who have been beaten and thrown to the side of the street half-dead without any help. A change of life as in the case of Zacchaeus and a charitable action done by the good Samaritan are not easy for the rich. In the Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testament, we find sharp criticism against them. We see an example of how the rich who exploited the weak and oppressed the poor were criticized by the prophet Amos (4:1). Similarly, Jesus talked sharply to the rich: But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation (Lk 6:24). Wealth, closely related to power and respect, has always been a temptation to separate people from God and neighbors. The similar temptation to deviate from Gods plan was also experienced by Jesus (Lk 4:1-13). The preferential option for the poor is not an option to exclude the rich from Gods salvation plan. It is an attitude and action to follow Jesus who has proclaimed the Reign of God. The proclamation is an invitation for everybody to become brothers and sisters for all; where there is no gap between the poor and the rich, where there are neither the exploiters nor the exploited, neither the oppressors nor the oppressed; and where all people eat together. The rich joyfully and happily find Gods own solidarity in their solidarity with the poor.

In that way, we can understand why God through Jesus has chosen the poor and given preference to them. In the orientation to and solidarity with the poor, Gods salvation is present. Our preferential option is rooted in God himself. God is the one who has chosen and saved us. It is not worldly wealth, human power, authority or achievement. Ignoring the poor means ignoring God. This is practical atheism. The struggle to overcome poverty is a way to participate in Gods plan through Jesus; it is the way of Jesus disciples. This evangelical understanding is a criticism against cultural tradition, such as in Java, which divides the society into the powerful (wong gedh = big people) and the powerless (wong cilik = small people). At the same time, it is also an invitation to all people and all groups to reflect on their position, attitude and action with all their effects on the social life.

The Meaning of the Church of the Poor From the above discussion, it is clear to which direction the life of the Church and the life of the disciples of Jesus are oriented. The Church that chooses preferential option for the poor can be called the Church of the poor. It should be remembered that both poverty and wealth can either enslave or liberate, either keep people away from or unite them with Gods salvation action. This will be dealt on further in Culture in the Perspective of Faith and Poverty in Chapter 10. It is here that we will formulate clearly the elements in the life of the Church as the Church of the poor. The Church of the poor can be described in its two basic aspects. The first is its relation with God who has shown his salvation, power and mercy through Jesus Christ (the Christological aspect). The second is its relationship with the (economically, politically, or culturally) poor. These two aspects determine whether or not the Church really lives as the Church of the poor. The two aspects cannot be separated from one another. In the Gospel we find the image of Jesus as a poor and humble person, close to and preferentially opting for the poor in His service. The two aspects, the union of Jesus

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with the poor and the Churchs commitment to the poor, are described by the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council as follows: Just as Christ carried out the work of redemption in poverty and oppression, so the Church is called to follow the same path if she is to communicate the fruits of salvation to human beings. Christ Jesus, though he was by nature God ... emptied himself, taking the nature of a slave (Phil 2:6,7), and being rich, became poor (2 Cor 8:9) for our sake. Likewise, the Church, although she needs human resource to carry out her mission, is not set up to seek earthly glory, but to proclaim, and this by her own example, humility and self-denial. Christ was sent by the Father to bring good news to the poor ... to heal the contrite of heart (Lk 4:18), to seek and to save what was lost (Lk 19:10). Similarly the Church encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery and she recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer, the image of the poor and suffering founder. (LG 8; see AG 5) For the Church and the disciples of Jesus, the longing for following Him and searching and discovering God is authentic only when it is manifested in loving commitment which shows preferential option for the poor and the neglected. On the other hand, there is no proven and perfect commitment to humanity, for and with the poor, if it is not the manifestation of our encounter with God. Every believer who has experienced self-commitment in the preferential option for the poor will experience this reality.

As seen in the story of the last judgment in Mt 25:31-46, love with preferential option for the poor and the neglected is the manifestation of service to Christ, the manifestation of the performance of divine love, which is beyond the boundary of love for ones family or friends. The rich and the powerful will find joy to have discovered Jesus among the poor and thus to live the life of the Church of the poor. Without care for and, to a certain extent, contact with the poor and the neglected, it is impossible for us to share the burden of their suffering and difficulties through prophetic critical thinking or involvement in concrete actions. Sensitivity needs personal concern and contacts. For that purpose, there are various forms, depending on ones preference and possibility. We can categorize three forms of commitment to the poor as follows: The first, which is more or less limited, consists in visiting, meeting, giving limited assistance to and support for, poor communities and their actions. The second consists of scientific works, research, presentation of creativecritical prophetic thoughts, articles, and practical works related to the concerns of poor communities. The third is living amidst the people, and working with the poor. Not everyone can involve him/herself totally but everyone can, as their capability permits, join the movement for and with the poor. The Church that joins this movement can be called the Church of the poor. And, as mentioned above, the rich and the powerful are not excluded from this movement. On the contrary, they are invited to more closely follow Jesus, poor and humble, in praxis in order to make themselves the Church of the poor. Leading such a life means taking the path of spirituality of social solidarity. Spirituality Originating from Gods Solidarity Spirituality can be understood as an attitude and a way to respond to the data of experience. This means that spirituality is relational: it is related with what is experienced, either human beings, or the universe, or God. The attitude and the way the Church responds to the reality of poverty and injustice are the preferential option for the poor. Such is the spirituality of the Church of the poor, which can be called the spirituality of social solidarity. This spirituality is based on and originates in Gods solidarity itself. Spirituality of social solidarity takes place if (1) we are united with Christ, the Word that has become a human being, the concrete form of Gods solidarity and (2) we listen to Him, the Word of God, and follow him by working for conversion, human liberation, and social development. Searching for God and paying attention to the poor and the suffering are an inseparable unity. Like the description of the Church of the poor in two aspects (Christological and sociological), spirituality of social solidarity also works in two aspects, namely in its relationship with Jesus Christ and with the poor. Loyalty gives a special character to Christians social commitment in the attempt to liberate humankind. For those involved, such relationships usually bring a change of heart.

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Spirituality of solidarity is modeled on Jesus spirituality, which has been shown from His birth to His death. He was born in solidarity with the homeless. His words and actions gladdened the sick, the hungry and the suffering. Finally, He died on the cross as the poorest of the poor. In response to what He experienced in society, Jesus lived out a deep spirituality of solidarity with the reality of the world, of suffering humankind. His spirituality can be called a kenosis spirituality, a self-emptying spirituality until his death on the cross (Phil 2:6-8). Following the selfemptying spirituality, Jesus disciples are transformed to become closer to Jesus. Such is a spirituality of powerless and continuous conversion and renewal and is more open to other human beings and God himself. Through Jesus, God becomes one with humankind. God acts to liberate and save humankind. God brings change and hope. The attitude and the way Jesus disciples respond to Gods initiative are guided by the same Spirit that has moved Jesus. The self-transformation of Jesus disciples brings meaning to their social solidarity in order to stimulate a wider transformation, namely the transformation of societal life. Therefore, solidarity is not merely a theory but actually a movement or an action. To act does not always mean to solve all problems or to offer prescriptions to solve problems. To act primarily means to let oneself be touched by the concerns and suffering of the poor. To live a spirituality of solidarity means to adopt Jesus way, to follow him and to be with him wherever He is, by taking action to reduce suffering. How expensive solidarity is can be seen in Jesus life. He led his life without violence until his death on the cross. Such is what has made Jesus Gospel reliable - his words are united with his actions. A social solidarity does not always change situations. However, it can never be without meaning. Though incapable of changing the situation, being present among and accompanying the suffering is true and meaningful solidarity. Mother Theresa and her sisters from Calcutta every day gather the dying homeless on the sidewalks. Often they can be with them only in the final hours before their death. Such does not change the lot of the homeless because they will surely die. But they will die more humanely because they are treated like human beings and not as social garbage collected and hauled away in trucks. Mother Theresa and her sisters solidarity offer one method of following Jesus way, to be present and to accompany the suffering sympathetically. Here is another example. Father Werner Ruffing from 1970 to 1975 lived and worked among political prisoners in Buru, a small isolated island in the Molluccas. It seems that their life was not changed by his presence, but his presence was truly a blessing, which brought hope. It was indeed the benefit of the solidarity of a volunteer who was willing to be present and to share the physical and psychic burdens of being in Buru, living away from their families. Father, we are happy that you are here with us, even if it did not change our situation. When at the end of 1970s they were freed, it was revealed more clearly that his presence became the source of their hope. In concrete situations, the spirituality of following Jesus is always confronted with negative power. About this, we can refer to Jesus life. Jesus was tempted to become wealth-, power-, and glory-hungry, to adopt pride and to rely on himself rather than on God (Mk 1:12-13, Mt 4:1-11; Lk 4:1-3). Until now such negative power still persists in our society and life, namely the greed to acquire wealth, power and status and finally to rely on oneself rather than on God. The spirituality of social solidarity follows the way of humility, which trusts oneself and the universe in the power and care of God or, in other words and accepts the world as it is and God as God. In this spirituality, Jesus disciples experience their life as one, which is not from this world but as a missionary life to the world (see Jn 17:14-19), where the conflict between Gods Reign and the Anti-Gods Reign is real. In the spirituality of humility strength and endurance are found because one relies only on God himself. Only in the spirituality of humility of Jesus disciples can we approach the poor and the neglected, not as mere objects of love but as brothers and sisters who share the same wealth, the Reign of God. In the spirituality of humility, we can be enriched by and learn from, the poor. We will feel how human a bus driver-assistant, usually considered rough, can be when he helps a woman seller get on the bus with her child and her merchandise. We will learn how our brothers and sisters have perseverance, endurance and courage, how they endure their shared burdens of poverty with friends, and how they can be happy and hopeful in their lack of basic needs. Our willingness to learn means openness to Jesus presence in other human beings, in creation and in different cultural and religious traditions. About these, there will be more discussion in Chapters 10 and 12.

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Selected Materials for Private or Group Study (1) Read Mt 5:1-12 (or Lk 6:20-26) Whom does Jesus address in the Beatitudes? What is the purpose of What is the relation between what Jesus says here and what He does? recognize the relation between what the Jesus proclamation?

The Church is also called to proclaim the Beatitudes. Do you Church proclaims and what she does? (2)

Compare what you have here with the result of your study about Mt In the encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis we read:

25:31-46 in Chapter 7.

By virtue of her own evangelical duty, the church feels called to take her stand beside the poor, to discern the justice of their requests and to help satisfy them, without losing sight of the good of groups in the context of the common good (SRS 39). Do you see the difference between the preferential option for the in the encyclical RN? In a conflict of interest between the poor and the rich and the in the society? What is your opinion? poor here and the structural approach

powerful, what way out is commonly taken

(3) The preferential option for the poor can be manifested in solidarity with the poor, prophetic protests against scandals of poverty and efforts to eradicate poverty. Which is the most appropriate? Why? (4) Does the virtue and vow of poverty, which is based on faith, have a value separate from the social reality of poverty? Is it acceptable that forms of such poverty are often very much different from the real poverty of the poor? (5) In this context, what is the relation between the lifestyle (living cost, means, and friends) of priests and religious people and their work (work efficiency)? Which is more important if you have to choose?

Selected Readings Banawiratma, J.B. 1988 Pilihan Mengutamakan Kaum Miskin Dalam Ajaran Sosial Gereja in Aspek-aspek Teologi Sosial Gereja, ed. J.B. Banawiratma, Yogyakarta:Kanisius, 157-175. Darmawijaya, St. 1991 Keterlibatan Allah Terhadap Kaum Miskin dalam Perspektif Teologi Biblis. Yogyakarta: Lembaga Biblika Indonesia dalam kerja sama dengan Kanisius. Jacobs, Tom

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1988 Orang Kecil Dalam Kerajaan Allah in Aspek-aspek Teologi Sosial Gereja, ed. J.B. Banawiratma, Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 91-114. Nolan, Albert 1980 Jesus Before Christianity: The Gospel of Liberation. London: Darton, Longman and Todd. Putranto, C.B. 1987 Gereja Kaum Miskin Dalam Konsili Vatikan II dan Dokumen Federasi Konferensi Uskup-uskup Asia in Kemiskinan dan Pembebasan, ed. J.B. Banawiratma, Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 95-117. Suharyo, I. 1987 Berbahagialah Orang yang Miskin Di Hadapan Allah Karena Merekalah Empunya Kerajaan Allah in Kemiskinan dan Pembebasan, ed. J.B. Banawiratma, Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 73-93. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1992 Human Development Report 1992. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Weiden, W. van der 1988 Kritik Sosial Dari Nabi-nabi Israel in Aspek-aspek Teologi Sosial Gereja, ed. J.B. Banawiratma, Yogyakarta: Kanisius, 55-90. Reference: eapi.admu.edu.ph/eapr99/chap8.htm