In an article, “The Social Conscience Of Vincent De Paul”, some may see perhaps surprisingly similarities to situations today in various countries around the world. Fr. Greg Cooney, CM, currently Provincial of the Australian Province, provides us with Vincent’s perspectives in his own words.
He writes… “As far as the poor were concerned, the social fabric of seventeenth-century France was a tapestry of loathing, fear and of repressive measures. The first part of this article traces the development of these attitudes in order to situate St Vincent’s response in its historical milieu.
The second part of the article analyses the development of St Vincent’s social conscience, using a framework developed by Brian Johnstone. In this part, St Vincent will be allowed, as much as possible to speak for himself.” The article originally appeared in pdf format on the site of the Australian Vincentians and has now been presented in more accessible format by the Spanish language website Somos
What do you think?
- How similar are some of the attitudes in 17th century France to those of the early 21st century?
- Would Vincent’s word be heard today?
- What can we do to walk in his footsteps with his heart?
Tags: Catholic social teaching and doctrine, CM, Congregation of the Mission, poverty, Vincent
