World Day of the Poor: Pope Francis organises lunch with 1300 poor people
By Francesca Merlo
Lunch with some of the poor people of Rome has become tradition for Pope Francis as he, along with the global Church, celebrate World Day of the Poor.
This year will mark the eighth edition, since the Pope established the day in 2017, and it will be no different to the last, as over 1,300 poor people are due to join Pope Francis for lunch.
A project of help and hope
Falling on the third Sunday of November, this year the day will be celebrated on the 17th and will officially begin with Holy Mass, presided over by Pope Francis, in St Peter’s Basilica.
However, shortly prior to the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope will have blessed 13 keys, each symbolically representing thirteen countries where the Vicentians will be inaugurating their “13 Houses” project. The project consists in building new homes for disadvantaged people in thirteen different countries. There, various charitable initiatives will take place, such as covering utility bills for low-income families through parish connections. One of the countries welcoming this new project is Syria, which has been forgotten by much of western media as it continues to suffer the devastating effects of almost two decades of conflict.
Why should politics cause poverty?
In his message for the 2024 World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis noted that war-driven "bad politics" generates new poverty and innocent victims. He urged everyone to pray with and for the poor, and highlighted that volunteers continue to devote themselves to serving the poorest in our cities, embodying God’s response to the cries of those in need.
The quest for justice
This year, in particular, the motto chosen by the Pope is taken from the book of Sirach: "The prayer of the poor rises to God" (Sirach 21:5). This motto emphasises that the poor hold a special place in God's heart. He hears their prayers and becomes "impatient" in their suffering until justice is done. The Book of Sirach confirms that "God's judgment will be in favour of the poor" (21:5).
The World Day of the Poor encourages the Church to "step outside" its walls and engage with poverty in its many forms in today's world. And with this lunch, that is precisely what Pope Francis will be doing.
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