“But there is another form of poverty! It is the spiritual poverty of our time which afflicts the so-called richer countries particularly seriously. It is what my much-loved predecessor, Benedict XVI, called the ‘dictatorship of relativism,’ which makes everyone his own criterion and endangers the coexistence of peoples.” (Pope Francis to diplomats)
According to Our Way of Life:
44. By the vow of poverty we follow the poor and humble Jesus who accepted his human condition even unto death. He came to bring the Good News to the poor.
45. St. Vincent Pallotti exhorts us to look at Jesus who made the poor and oppressed his special concern. He teaches us to use the goods of this world for the apostolate and for the service of the suffering and despised.
46. Our life of poverty must show that we are guided by the values of the gospel. Our free renunciation is a sign of faith and hope.
53. We try to share our material and non-material goods. In some cases this may mean that we give not only of our abundance but also that we are willing to suffer freely real hardships in the service of the community and the apostolate.
