In one of the Church’s oldest texts, the Didache, Christians were commanded to share with others all they had: “If you have in common what is eternal, how much more should you have what is transitory.” In his lecture On love for the poor, St. Gregory the Theologian begins with a review of various Christian virtues and concludes that above all virtues, we must look at love as the first and highest of the commandments, since it is the summation of the Law and the prophets, and the most vital part of it he found in love for the poor, as well as in compassion for people. He observes that: “The rule of the most perfect Christian life is to seek those things which are in the common good...for nothing can make a man an imitator of Christ, than caring for his neighbor.” We must constantly remember that the first work of the Messiah was to preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). The church stands to continue the saving work of Christ and the poor should be the first to us too.

II

Peace is a combination of nonviolence, justice and solidarity. There cannot be peace if there is no justice, and cannot be justice if there is not solidarity. Similarly, where there is violence there can be no peace, as from violence injustice occurs. Wars are often a result of people’s rights being cast aside, exploitation of individuals or countries and greed creates always poverty. The UN 2030 agenda for Sustainable development asserts: There can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development. For extreme poverty is both a product of conflict and a cause of it. It fuels frustration and hopelessness which are key ingredients in generating violence. History has shown thousands of examples of how war and conflicts lead to poverty and destruction, and poverty leads to further conflicts, thus creating a vicious circle. The war in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as conflicts in many parts of the world, show us the great damage of war and the suffering and poverty of millions of people. They are a strong call for all of us to try to stop wars, to make peace wherever there is conflict and to be in solidarity with the poor and the needy. By fighting poverty, we reduce the possibility of conflict and by avoiding conflicts, there is more chance of having peace.

III

Solidarity and peace are deeply intertwined, and when there is no peace and solidarity then poverty prevails. Only solidarity with one another enables peace to flow. Solidarity reaffirms the idea that humans are created as communitarian beings and are called to live in community with each other, coming together for the common good, upholding the dignity of every human person. We are all brothers and sisters. Being in fraternity and solidarity with each other it is not just feeling sorry for others, but feeling their pain ourselves and acting for the good of others. We have to renew again the mindset which thinks in terms of community.

Solidarity is an expression of our interconnectedness and St. Paul will help us understand the reality of this interconnectedness through an analogy with our physical bodies. For as in one body, we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ. (Romans 12:14). Without solidarity and fraternity, we cannot have nor freedom and equality. Talking about famous French revolution motto: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, many years ago, Henri Bergson already pointed out that only brotherhood can reconcile the other two sisters, who are actually enemies.

IV

It is the duty and the call of all of us, religious, political and civil society from all over the world to built peace in solidarity with the poor. As religious we have to base ourselves on the Holy Scripture and on the rich tradition of the Church. The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it – says the Psalmist (Psalm 24:1). The wealth is a gift of God for all the people and not only for a few. We are not the owners of it but only stewards. You are not making a gift of your possession to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his - says St Ambrose of Milan.

Wealth in itself is neutral, but it depends on how we see it. When we consider it as personal property, we abuse God’s property and this is the source of every economic and social crisis. The economic crises, wars and poverty originate from a spiritual crisis. Without healing the spiritual crisis, we cannot heal the economic one and we cannot have peace and without peace we will have wars and poverty. We must try to encourage all parts of society to have the needs of the poorest at the center of their policies. As Mahatma Gandhi said: The greatness of a nation is measured by how it treats its weakest members.

V

Perhaps we are not in a position to suggest concrete alternatives to economic globalization, nor do we have the expertise to develop complex economic policies and practices to regulate the global economy. But we must be present in the daily life of society, to spread, not only with words, but also with deeds and personal example, the warm spirit of love and compassion between people, in order not to let human society be frozen by the icy wind of selfishness and fragmented by indifference and apathy. Also, we must always be ready and creative to work within the processes and opportunities of free societies to build a social structure where the poor are not simply objects of charity for the rich, but where they have the chance to work and to participate in the resources of humanity. In this way, the poor will have dignity, because more than bread, the human being needs dignity and respect, a dignity that the Creator himself bestowed upon him when he created him in His image.

The priority of the Church always should be the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But this Gospel of the Kingdom is important even in this life. Therefore, we must try to maintain the balance, without opposition and without choosing one and neglecting the other, between the Gospel of the Kingdom, which includes the pastoral work for the salvation of man, and the ‘Social Gospel,’ which includes the feeding of the poor, health care and education, peacemaking and protection of the weak, because both aspects are important and interconnected.

The great boldness of the Fathers in social matters is well known. For St John Chrysostom, the ‘sacrament of the altar’ is nothing if it does not extend itself in the ‘sacrament of the poor.’ Do you want to honor the Body of the Savior? – he asks commenting on the Gospel according to Matthew, and after he answers - Do not despise him when he is naked. Do not honor him inside the church in silk garments, while outside he is naked and frozen by the cold. He who said, ‘This is my body,’ and made it so by his word, is the same who said, “You saw me hungry and you fed me. Whatever you did to one of these younger brothers of mine, you did to me.” So, honor him by sharing wealth with the poor. For God does not need golden cups but golden souls.

In conclusion, I believe God wants us to listen to the cry of the poor and to assist those in need and those who suffer from violence. On this occasion I want to thank the Community of Sant’Egidio, present throughout the world, that not only listen to the cry of the poor and needy, but also responds by helping them. May the Lord remember this work in His Kingdom! Amen!

From https://meetingsforpeace.santegidio.org/pageID/31897/langID/fr/text/4545/Speech-of-Joan.html.