Friday, February 10, 2012

Many Faces of Poverty

'Rich with assets and yet poor.' In the past this assertion would be difficult to comprehend, but it's no longer the case. The concepts of rich and poor have become more abstract and confused.  Our complicated financial arrangements  and present realities have led to a confused understanding of the words.

We have those in society who have a house but are called 'house poor.'  Their house is often an obstacle in receiving financial help; despite the house, which is often a financial burden, they may need more help to live well but are  prevented from receiving this help because of the house they have. And then there are the 'retired poor' who have to take care of the education of their children and are not able to prepare for their own retirement, thus becoming the 'living poor.'

We also have the 'job poor' who in order to find a job spend a great deal of money getting  accreditation, preparing for exams for different licenses, and acquiring the qualifications for landing a skilled job; it's a serious problem in our society.

The 'baby poor' are those who have difficulty in raising their children. This poverty will also affect the next generation. This is the poverty that young couples face in our society. And there are the 'working poor' that the Free Trade Act helps to exacerbate. They are working but faced with a diminished income. The young, especially, have to work for lower wages.

The many faces of poverty today are seen everywhere, and the word 'poverty' itself is losing the meaning it once had.  

Compared to this secular meaning of the word, the Church tells us of a spiritual poverty, which can be understood in two ways:  God is the owner of all we possess. We are only stewards, managers, of the abundance we enjoy. The second meaning is to use what we have wisely, sharing with others. To use what we have only for ourselves, not seeing what is happening around us, is to misuse, the bishop says, what has been given.
Writing in the Catholic Times, he presents us with these many faces of poverty, and asks, which one are we wearing? What kind of poverty am I living?