Poverty

The Latest

A man tends to his goats in a village in Kerala, India.

Half a million Catholics in India petition government for better living conditions

Feb 6, 2024

By Daniel Payne

Christians make up about 20% of the local population in Kerala, with the Christian community there tracing its ancient roots... Read more

Pope Francis meets with priests of Rome’s 17th prefecture in the Parish of Santa Maria Madre dell'Ospitalità in Villa Verde in Rome on Nov. 16, 2023.

Pope meets with priests, families to confront poverty, social marginalization

Nov 17, 2023

By Matthew Santucci

Pope Francis met with priests of Rome’s 17th prefecture in the Parish of Santa Maria Madre dell’Ospitalità in Villa Verde... Read more

A family sits in a tent at camp for refugees at Kenya's border town with Ethiopia, Moyale, about 484 miles north of capital Nairobi, on March 17, 2018 after fleeing Ethiopia.

U.S. bishops appeal to leaders to do more to ensure food security around the globe

Aug 7, 2023

By Zoe Romanowsky

Bishop David J. Malloy cited numbers that estimated about 258 million people in 58 countries experienced crisis-level acute hunger in... Read more

A Pray for Venezuela banner at Campo Santa Maria la Antigua in Panama City, Jan. 24, 2019.

Venezuela is falling back into ‘extreme poverty,’ archbishop says

Feb 14, 2023

By Ana Paula Morales

“Hunger is more acute every day; there is great need in all sectors of the country.” Read more

Cubans in Havana protest in the streets and cry for freedom on July 11, 2021.

Priest says worst poverty in Cuba is ‘lack of freedom’

Jul 18, 2022

By CNA Staff

In a recent interview with Aid to the Church in Need, Father Bladimir Navarro of Spain discussed the dire situation... Read more

Pope Francis greets a participant in the World Day of the Poor in Rome, Nov. 16, 2017.

Pope Francis: No Christian is exempt from aiding the poor

Jun 14, 2022

By Courtney Mares

The pope made the remark in his message for the 2022 World Day of the Poor. Read more

Pope Francis offers Mass for the fifth World Day of the Poor on Nov. 14, 2021.

Pope Francis on World Day of the Poor: Be ‘tireless builders of hope’ amid suffering

Nov 14, 2021

By Courtney Mares

The pope offered Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of 2,000 people living in poverty and the volunteers... Read more

Pope Francis gives his weekly Angelus message on Nov. 7, 2021

Pope Francis: ‘Free the sacred from its ties with money’

Nov 7, 2021

By Hannah Brockhaus

In a reflection on the Gospel of the “widow’s mite,” Pope Francis spoke about hypocrisy and giving our all to... Read more

Catholic Relief Services distributes food for school children at one of the schools in the Department of Totonicapán, Guatemala, with the help of parent volunteers. The parents who picked up food had to comply with safety protocols such as wearing a mask, hand washing, and disinfection upon entry, and social distancing was maintained at all times.

Catholic Relief Services, USDA work together to provide food for school children in Guatemala during pandemic

Aug 18, 2021

By Autumn Jones

In a normal year, Maria Quiró’s children would eat a meal at school as part of Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS)... Read more

Fr. Stan Swamy, S.J.

Asian bishops honor Indian Jesuit priest Stan Swamy as ‘martyr of the marginalized’

Jul 6, 2021

By Jose Torres, Jr.

The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) on Tuesday mourned the death of Jesuit priest Stanislaus Lourduswamy, and called him... Read more

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on Sept. 9, 2015 for the general audience.

Pope Francis: Marginalizing the poor threatens ‘the very concept of democracy’

Jun 14, 2021

By CNA Staff

In his World Day of the Poor message, the pope appealed for a new global approach to poverty. Read more

Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on  April 17, 2013. Credit: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

Pope Francis appeals for fight against ‘unacceptable poverty’

Jan 29, 2021

Pope Francis encouraged Catholic organizations on Friday to continue to fight against “unacceptable poverty.”  Read more

Cardinal says Italy is seeing a surge of ‘new poor’ amid the pandemic

Jan 26, 2021

By Hannah Brockhaus

An Italian cardinal said Tuesday the country is seeing a surge of “new poor” due to the coronavirus pandemic, and... Read more

Pope Francis offers Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 24, 2020. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/Vatican Pool.

Pope Francis on Christmas Eve: The poor manger was rich in love

Dec 24, 2020

By Courtney Mares

On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis said that the poverty of Christ’s birth in a stable contains an important lesson for... Read more

Pope Francis speaks during the general audience in the library of the Apostolic Palace Dec. 9, 2020.

Council for Inclusive Capitalism launches partnership with Vatican

Dec 9, 2020

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism launched a partnership with the Vatican on Tuesday, stating that it will be “under the... Read more

Cardinal Vincent Nichols at Westminster Cathedral, London, on Dec. 21, 2019.

Cardinal Nichols urges UK government to reconsider cut to foreign aid budget

Nov 26, 2020

Cardinal Vincent Nichols urged the U.K. government Thursday to reconsider a proposed cut to its foreign aid budget.   Read more

Pope Francis prays during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on the fourth World Day of the Poor on Nov. 15, 2020.

Pope Francis: The poor are at the heart of the Gospel

Nov 15, 2020

Pope Francis on Sunday said that the needy are at the heart of the Gospel as he celebrated a Mass... Read more

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, at the Vatican press office on Jan. 18, 2016.

Pandemic forces Vatican to scale down World Day of the Poor events

Nov 12, 2020

Coronavirus restrictions have forced the Vatican to scale down its commemoration of the World Day of the Poor, a Vatican... Read more

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, pictured in Lebanon on Dec. 2, 2014.

Vatican to UN: pandemic makes 2030 poverty elimination goal even harder to achieve

Oct 16, 2020

The coronavirus crisis has made the international community’s goal of eradicating poverty by 2030 even harder to achieve, a Vatican representative told... Read more

The Syrian flag.

Cardinal says Syria has been hit with a ‘poverty bomb’

Sep 18, 2020

By Courtney Mares

After nearly 10 years of war, the Syrian people have now been hit with a “poverty bomb” amid the coronavirus... Read more