Truth and Mercy in the Care of the Poor

Our Holy Father, Pope Leo, has recently offered the Church a powerful reflection on our duty to serve the poor in his Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (I have loved you), reminding us of the inviolable dignity of every human person and the Gospel call to mercy and solidarity. These teachings provide essential moral principles that guide the Church throughout the world.

At the same time, the Holy Father himself acknowledges that such principles must be applied with pastoral prudence in light of local realities. Sometimes it can be difficult to see how such a document applies to our own situation. In our own community, poverty is often closely tied to addiction, untreated mental illness, and profound personal instability—realities that complicate how help is best offered.

For this reason, charity in our area requires not only generosity, but wisdom: compassion that is structured, mercy that is truthful, and assistance that seeks healing rather than harm.

A Pastoral Reflection: On Poverty, Addiction, Mental Illness, and the Dignity of Impaired Agency

I. Introduction: The Cry of the Poor Today

The Church, faithful to her Lord, hears in every age the cry of the poor. This cry arises not only from material deprivation, but also from wounds that afflict the mind, the will, and the heart. In our own time, this cry increasingly comes from men and women burdened by addiction, mental illness, and psychological trauma—conditions which profoundly impair personal freedom and the capacity for self-determination.

The Church must speak with clarity and compassion about this reality, lest her proclamation of justice remain abstract and her works of mercy become either ineffective or unintentionally harmful.

II. The Dignity of the Human Person and Impaired Freedom

Every human person possesses inviolable dignity, created in the image and likeness of God. This dignity does not depend upon productivity, autonomy, or social contribution.

At the same time, the Church recognizes that human freedom admits of degrees. Addiction, severe mental illness, and psychological trauma can gravely diminish personal responsibility and the ability to choose the good consistently.

To acknowledge diminished agency is not to deny dignity; rather, it is to affirm the truth about the human condition after the Fall.

A pastoral approach that presumes full autonomy where autonomy is absent risks imposing burdens that the wounded cannot bear.

III. Poverty in Its Many Forms

Poverty today is not a single reality but a convergence of causes:

·     Structural injustice and economic exclusion

·     Family breakdown and generational trauma

·     Substance abuse and behavioral addiction

·     Untreated or undertreated mental illness

These factors often intertwine. Therefore, responses that address only economic conditions without attending to moral, psychological, and spiritual wounds are necessarily incomplete.

The Church affirms that not all poverty can be remedied by empowerment alone. Some forms of poverty require protection, supervision, and sustained care.

IV. Mercy, Responsibility, and the Limits of Enablement

Christian mercy is never mere indulgence. It seeks the true good of the person, ordered toward healing and conversion.

Acts of assistance that:

·     perpetuate addiction,

·     reinforce destructive behavior,

·     or undermine accountability,

—even when well-intentioned—may become forms of false mercy.

Authentic charity discerns the difference between helping a person survive and helping a person heal. In some cases, love requires limits, structure, and the acceptance of authority for the sake of restoration.

V. Custodial Care as an Act of Love

The Church reaffirms that custodial and structured care—including supervised housing, mandated treatment, and protective oversight—can be morally legitimate and, in some cases, morally necessary.

Such care must always:

·     respect human dignity,

·     avoid coercion beyond what is necessary for safety,

·     and be oriented toward rehabilitation and communion.

To provide structure where freedom has been fractured is not oppression; it is often a prerequisite for the eventual recovery of freedom.

VI. Subsidiarity and Pastoral Prudence

The principle of subsidiarity requires that responses to poverty, addiction, and mental illness be adapted to local realities. Pastors, caregivers, medical professionals, and civic authorities must work collaboratively, recognizing their distinct competencies.

The Church does not offer technical solutions, but she insists that pastoral prudence must govern charitable action. One-size-fits-all approaches risk harming both the vulnerable and the broader community.

VII. The Role of the Parish

Parishes are not treatment centers, nor are they merely service providers. They are places of encounter, truth, and hope.

Parishes should strive to:

·     accompany without enabling,

·     welcome without naïveté,

·     offer spiritual care alongside referrals to professional help,

·     and support families who bear the long-term burden of care.

Above all, parishes must resist the temptation to reduce complex human suffering to slogans or political categories.

VIII. Hope Beyond Brokenness

Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick. His mercy reaches even those whose lives are marked by confusion, relapse, and failure.

The Church proclaims hope—not optimism, but hope rooted in the Cross. Healing is often slow, incomplete, and hidden. Yet no life is beyond redemption, and no suffering is meaningless when united to Christ.

In bearing patiently with the most wounded, the Church bears witness to a love that neither abandons truth nor withdraws mercy.

Conclusion

The care of the poor in our time demands courage:

·     the courage to speak honestly about broken agency,

·     the courage to set boundaries in love,

·     and the courage to accompany without illusion.

Only by holding together truth and mercy can the Church remain faithful to her mission and credible in her witness.

A Realistic Example: When Love Requires a Boundary

A parishioner notices a man who regularly comes to the church asking for help. At first, she gives him a little money. He is polite, grateful, and promises he is trying to get back on his feet.

Over time, she begins to see a pattern. He returns frequently, always with an urgent story. When she offers food instead of money, he becomes irritated. When she suggests a shelter or a recovery program, he refuses and insists that cash is what he needs most.

Eventually, she learns from others that he is struggling with a serious drug addiction.

At this point, the parishioner faces a difficult decision. She wants to be merciful—but she also realizes that giving him money may be making his situation worse, not better. So she sets a boundary.

The next time he asks for money, she says calmly and respectfully:

“I care about you, but I can’t give cash anymore. I can buy you a meal or help connect you with a program that can support you.”

He becomes angry and walks away.

The parishioner goes home feeling unsettled. It feels harsh. It feels like rejection. But in truth, she has not rejected him. She has refused to participate in harm. She has chosen a form of love that is honest rather than easy.

She continues to pray for him. When she sees him again, she still greets him respectfully. The door to relationship remains open—but the boundary remains in place.

Why This Is Not a Failure of Charity

·     She did not judge his soul.

·     She did not shame him.

·     She did not withdraw human dignity.

·     She simply recognized that helping and enabling are not the same thing.

Boundaries protect:

·     the person in crisis,

·     the giver from burnout or resentment,

·     and the integrity of Christian charity itself.

A simple line you might remember:

“Love does not always say yes—but it never stops caring.”

In Christ,

Rev. Ronald Nelson