Word of God and Charity Toward the Poor, the eleventh of the synodal propositions submitted to Benedict XVI at the end of the world Synod of Bishops on the “Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church,” held in October at the Vatican, could have been written by Vincent.
Proposition 11 reads:
One of the characteristic features of sacred Scripture is the revelation of God’s predilection for the poor (cf. Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus of Nazareth, Word of God incarnate, went through this world doing good (cf. Acts 10:35). The Word of God, willingly received, generates abundantly in the Church charity and justice towards all, above all towards the poor.
As the encyclical “Deus Caritas Est” teaches, the first to have the right to the proclamation of the Gospel are in fact the poor, in need not only of bread but also of words of life. However, the poor are only the recipients of charity, but also agents of evangelization, in as much as they are open to God and generous in sharing with others. Pastors are called to listen to them, to learn from them, to guide them in their faith and to motivate them to be architects of their own history. Deacons in charge of the service of charity have a particular responsibility in this ambit. The Synod encourages them in their ministry.
All of the synodal propositions can be found on the Zenit website.
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