As members of the Vincentian Family we have become accustomed to using terms such as Advocacy, Aporophobia, Homelessness, Collaboration, Systemic Change, etc., to describe either situations that we encounter in our work/ministry or actions that we carry out. To deepen our understanding of these concepts from the perspective of our charism, we have developed this series of posts, entitled a “Vincentian Dictionary”, with the aim of offering each week an explanation of the various words/phrases from a social, moral, Christian and Vincentian perspective. Inspired by the charism of St. Vincent de Paul, we hope to deepen our understanding and reflect on service, social justice and love of neighbor. At the end of each article you will find some ideas for personal reflection and/or group dialogue.

Follow the complete thread of this Vincentian dictionary at this link.

III. “You Cannot Serve God and Money”: A Christian and Vincentian Perspective on Wealth, Poverty, and Justice

In a world increasingly driven by economic transactions and financial power, the Christian message on money stands as a powerful counter-narrative. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the writings of the Church Fathers, the magisterial teachings, and the lived witness of saints, like Vincent de Paul, challenge every generation to examine the role of money not merely as a neutral instrument but as a moral and spiritual force. From the Bible to the present-day papacy, the Church’s vision is consistent: money must serve, not rule; it must uplift, not oppress; it must heal, not divide.

1. Biblical Foundations: Money as a Spiritual Test

The Bible is both realistic and prophetic about money. It recognizes the power of wealth but consistently warns against its misuse and idolatry. From the Old Testament to the New, wealth is framed as a test of the heart—a measure of one’s trust in God and love for neighbor.

• The Old Testament: The Law and the Prophets uphold justice for the poor and condemn exploitation. The Jubilee laws (Leviticus 25) and prohibitions on usury (Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19) embody an economic ethic rooted in compassion, equality, and restoration. “Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is no more room” (Isaiah 5:8) is a critique of monopolistic wealth that leaves others destitute.
• The New Testament: Jesus speaks more about money than about heaven or hell. His parables—like the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), or the foolish rich man (Luke 12:16-21)—emphasize that wealth can harden the heart and blind us to God and neighbor. Most forcefully, Jesus warns: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). This radical statement is not merely a moral recommendation but a demand for exclusive allegiance.

For Jesus, the poor are not simply recipients of charity—they are the bearers of His presence. “Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40) means that money used to serve the poor is money given to Christ Himself. In this light, wealth is not evil in itself, but it is dangerous unless it is actively converted into love and justice.

2. Patristic Wisdom: Wealth as Responsibility

The early Church Fathers, deeply shaped by Scripture, offered scathing critiques of wealth hoarded or used selfishly, while offering profound theological insights on the communal purpose of goods.

• St. Basil the Great declared, “The bread you keep belongs to the hungry; the coat in your closet to the naked.” For Basil, private wealth was not absolute—it was bound to the needs of the community. Ownership included social responsibility.
• St. John Chrysostom lamented the disparity between rich and poor in his sermons. He did not denounce wealth per se but insisted that the wealthy are stewards, not owners, and would be judged on their generosity.
• St. Ambrose declared, “You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his.” This radical sense of justice—not mere almsgiving—echoes the biblical principle that all things ultimately belong to God.

These early Christian thinkers viewed money through a lens of divine justice. Hoarding wealth while others lack basic needs was a form of theft, a violation not only of charity but of justice.

3. The Social Doctrine of the Church: Money in the Service of Human Dignity

From Rerum Novarum (1891) to Fratelli Tutti (2020), the magisterium of the Church has developed a rich body of teaching on money, wealth, and economic life. The Church affirms private property, but always within a broader understanding of the universal destination of goods.

• The Universal Destination of Goods: First articulated by the Fathers and reiterated in Gaudium et Spes and Populorum Progressio, this principle holds that God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of every human being. Property and money are to be used to promote integral human development—not just for individuals but for communities, especially the marginalized.
• Option for the Poor: Rooted in the example of Christ and solidified in modern Catholic social teaching, the preferential option for the poor is not optional. As stated in Evangelii Gaudium, “The need to resolve the structural causes of poverty cannot be delayed… Inequality is the root of social ills.”
• Solidarity and Subsidiarity: The Church insists that money and economic policies must support the common good. This means resisting both collectivist systems that negate personal freedom and neoliberal systems that idolize the market. Money must flow in ways that build up families, communities, and access to the goods of life: education, housing, healthcare, and meaningful work.

4. Papal Witness: Contemporary Warnings and Challenges

Recent popes, from John Paul II to Francis, have denounced the idolatry of money with increasing clarity and urgency.

• St. John Paul II, in Centesimus Annus, called on Catholics to shape an economy that is “centered on the human person,” warning that capitalism without a moral compass becomes a form of exploitation.
• Benedict XVI, in Caritas in Veritate, emphasized that economic life must be rooted in truth and love: “The economy needs ethics in order to function correctly—not any ethics whatsoever, but an ethics which is people-centered.”
• Pope Francis has been the most outspoken critic of the “economy of exclusion.” In Evangelii Gaudium, he warns that “such an economy kills.” He laments a culture that deifies money and marginalizes the poor, calling instead for an economy of communion, solidarity, and encounter.

Francis repeatedly denounces the “throwaway culture” that treats people as expendable and finance as an end rather than a means. His call is not only for personal generosity but for systemic transformation.

5. The Vincentian Charism: Money as a Tool of Providence and Mercy

St. Vincent de Paul lived a radical detachment from money—yet he raised and distributed enormous sums for the poor. His genius was not in rejecting money, but in sanctifying its use. He saw money as a tool of divine Providence, meant to serve the poor with efficiency, dignity, and love.

• Money as a Means, Not a Master: Vincent encouraged wealthy benefactors to give, not out of pity, but out of justice and gratitude to God. He warned his followers against vanity and corruption in the handling of funds. “The poor are our masters,” he insisted. Thus, money had to be used with reverence and accountability.
• Systemic Charity: St. Vincent was among the first to organize charity with long-term vision. He pioneered hospitals, schools, and forms of social protection. For him, money was to be invested in human dignity. He called for action that helped the poor spiritually and corporally, showing a theology of money that was incarnational and liberating.
• St. Louise de Marillac and the Daughters of Charity likewise handled money as a sacred trust, ensuring it reached the suffering without delay or self-interest.

Vincentians today continue this legacy, not only in charity but in advocacy—challenging unjust structures that perpetuate poverty and exclusion.

A Call to Conversion and Justice

Money, in the Christian tradition, is never neutral. It can sanctify or corrupt, uplift or destroy. It reveals where our treasure lies—and whom we truly serve. The biblical, patristic, magisterial, and Vincentian traditions converge in one clear mandate: money must be placed at the service of love, justice, and solidarity with the poor.

Christians are called not merely to give alms, but to challenge economic systems that perpetuate inequality. They are summoned to steward wealth wisely, to advocate for policies that uphold the dignity of all, and to see Christ in the poor—not as an abstract idea, but as a lived reality.

In a world of increasing economic disparity, the Church’s witness on money is urgently needed. It is a message not of guilt, but of hope: that by placing money in the hands of love, we can heal wounds, restore dignity, and build the Kingdom of God on earth.