Poverty and the Church
For many believers and non-believers, the model of the Church, understood as an institution, should be one of absolute poverty modeled after Saint Francis. Therefore, they deplore that the Church requires and possesses considerable financial means, as is the case. Saint Francis, a model of holiness, embraced Sister Poverty, leaving behind his paternal wealth to become the poor man of Assisi. He considered poverty the true joy that we moderns might call self-realization, a transcendence of alienation, much like martyrdom was for early Christians, as it elevated them to achieve the only thing truly important for a Christian: the encounter with God.
There is no doubt that in this sense, Franciscan poverty captures the essence of Christianity. However, Christianity, while being an ascent towards God, also shows that such ascent presupposes love for one’s neighbor and therefore fraternal help for everyone indiscriminately, without discriminating even between friends and enemies, and particularly towards those in need: the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigners, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned.
In the unforgettable passage from Matthew 25:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels... he will say to those on his right: Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; naked, and you clothed me; sick, and you visited me; imprisoned, and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him: Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? The king will reply: Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Indeed, the Church, following this fundamental commandment, has always cared for the needy. In the past, before the establishment of modern welfare, those who could not feed themselves could always find a meal in convents; the sick, as far as possible in those times, were treated in institutions maintained by the Church, which also offered refuge to foreigners who could not provide for themselves and always offered spiritual assistance to prisoners. Most institutions currently managed by the state originated from those of the Church, often in the same premises.
Even today, the Church reaches the least of the earth where the state fails. Moreover, considerable means are needed for the apostolate. But to carry out all these great works, equally great material and financial resources are required, which the faithful somehow provide.
Saint Francis, embracing Sister Poverty, could not help the poor; indeed, he himself, being poor, needed help for the very little he consumed. The Church, however, if it wants to help the poor and the sick, must have the means to do so.
It should be clarified, however, that the Church’s resources must be used for "those who ask in God’s name," as Dante said, and not for the comfortable life of the clergy. This is, of course, still required today: we recall Pope Francis's call against the clergy’s luxurious cars: but cars are still necessary.
It seems to us that if Christianity has two directions like the cross, one vertical towards God and the other horizontal towards one’s neighbor, then Saint Francis favored the vertical one towards God. Currently, it seems to us that the vertical direction has weakened considerably and the horizontal one prevails: in the end, the Church today seems more like a social agency than a seeker of God.