Catholic charities and their relevance
1. Catholic charities and their relevance
The Catholic Church boasts of a significant number of activists. Some of these activists are motivated by the peculiar dangers that face the world. The Holy See has a history of using her vast resources to succor the poor and the needy. The Church has been at the forefront in the fight against social inequality, economic inequality, and political inequality. The role of the Church in championing for the voiceless is manifested in the numerous Catholic charities that operate globally. Consequently, this paper will explore Catholic charities and their relevance in today’s society.
-What are Catholic charities?
Catholic charities are religious organizations that offer social services to humanity. These organizations derive their mandate from the Church’s social teachings. The core values of Catholic charities are to uphold the dignity of human life and promote the common good (SUTERSKI, 2013).
A typical Catholic charity has a board of directors who are responsible for decision making. The board is usually headed by a president who is elected by members. Most Catholic charities have paid staffs who work on a full-time basis. These staffs include accountants, administers, lawyers, and counselors among others (KLEIN & WHITE, 2016).
Most Catholic charities have funding from different sources. Some of these sources include;
-Government grants
-Individual donations
-Foundation support
-Income from investments
-Events organized by the charity
-Loans
-Etcetera
Catholic charities use their funds to finance their operations and programs. Some of these programs include;
– Feeding the homeless
– Offering medical assistance to refugees
– clothes donation drives
– scholarship programs for disadvantaged students Etcetera (DUFFETT, 2014)………..
-What is their relevance?
The relevance of Catholic charities can be seen in their contributions to society. These organizations have helped in the fight against social inequality, economic inequality, and political inequality.
Social inequality refers to the existence of different forms of discrimination in a given society. These forms of discrimination include;
-Racial discrimination
-Ethnic discrimination
-Gender discrimination
-Socioeconomic status discrimination
-Age discrimination
– Sexual orientation discrimination
-Etcetera (BOURDIEU, 2012).
Economic inequality, on the other hand, refers to the unequal distribution of resources and opportunities in a given society. This form of inequality is usually as a result of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. The effects of economic inequality include;
-Poverty
-Unemployment
-Insecurity
-Etcetera (SEN, 1999)……………………..
Political inequality, on its part, refers to the unequal distribution of power and participation in political processes. This form of inequality is usually as a result of corruption and rigging of elections. The effects of political inequality include;
-Loss of faith in democracy
-Violence
-Unrest
etcetera (Dahl, 1971)..
2. Social inequality
The Catholic Church has been at the forefront in the fight against social inequality. The Church teaches that all human beings are created equal in the eyes of God. The Church also teaches that every human being has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992).
The Church has used her vast resources to help the poor and the needy. The Church has also established numerous Catholic charities that offer social services to humanity. These charities have helped in the fight against racial discrimination, ethnic discrimination, gender discrimination, socioeconomic status discrimination, age discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, etcetera.
3. Economic inequality
The Catholic Church has also been at the forefront in the fight against economic inequality. The Church teaches that every human being has a right to life. This right includes the right to food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education, etcetera (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992).
The Church has used her vast resources to help the poor and the needy. The Church has also established numerous Catholic charities that offer social services to humanity. These charities have helped in the fight against poverty, unemployment, insecurity, etcetera.
4. Political inequality
The Catholic Church has also been at the forefront in the fight against political inequality. The Church teaches that every human being has a right to participate in the political process (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1992).
The Church has used her vast resources to help in the fight against corruption and rigging of elections. The Church has also established numerous Catholic charities that offer social services to humanity. These charities have helped in the fight against loss of faith in democracy, violence, unrest, etcetera.
5. A global perspective
The role of the Catholic Church in championing for the voiceless is not limited to a particular region or country. The Church has a global perspective when it comes to social justice. The Church has established numerous Catholic charities that operate globally. These charities offer social services to humanity regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, etcetera. Consequently, these charities have helped in the fight against social inequality, economic inequality, and political inequality on a global scale.
6. Human resources management
The Catholic Church has a well-organized system of human resources management. The Church has a board of directors who are responsible for decision making. The board is usually headed by a president who is elected by members. Most Catholic charities have paid staffs who work on a full-time basis. These staffs include accountants, administers, lawyers, and counselors among others.
7. Language barriers
The Catholic Church has a global perspective when it comes to social justice. This global perspective is manifested in the numerous Catholic charities that operate globally. These charities offer social services to humanity regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, etcetera. Consequently, these charities have helped in the fight against social inequality, economic inequality, and political inequality on a global scale.
8. Geographic knowledge
The Catholic Church has a global perspective when it comes to social justice. This global perspective is manifested in the numerous Catholic charities that operate globally. These charities offer social services to humanity regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, etcetera. Consequently, these charities have helped in the fight against social inequality, economic inequality, and political inequality on a global scale.