In the Company of the Poor

“Poverty is not a destiny, it’s a condition. Poverty is not a misfortune, it’s an injustice,” declared theologian and liberation theology founder Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, OP, at a panel discussion co-hosted by the University of Dallas School of Ministry and the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres on October 21, 2016.

More than 500 Catholics attended the event, held at the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Hotel in Irving. Bishop Greg Kelly, auxiliary bishop in Dallas, welcomed the attendees. “This night may be a little bit disturbing,” Fr. Tom Condon, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres told the audience. “It’s a topic that should unsettle us.” Fr. Gutierrez, together with Dr. Paul Farmer, founding director of  Partners in Health and Fr. Bruno Cadoré, OP, Master of the Order of Preachers spoke of the need to understand poverty.

“Poverty is not only related to money. There is material poverty, of course, but there’s also spiritual poverty, institutional poverty. It’s a complex issue,” said Dr. Farmer. “All too often we romanticize what it means to love the poor. To love the poor is not a romanticization — it’s a way of life,” he said. The three spoke of the need to “have a preferential option given to the poor.”

“The question is not to have a preferential option given to the poor because they are more loved by God, but to see that they are the persons who need the most protection,” stressed Fr. Gutierrez. “To love one poor person is to be Catholic. “ “It is very clear that we must be in solidarity with the poor, “ Fr. Gutierrez added.

“We have to consider solidarity is not an action, it’s a way of life,” Fr. Cadoré affirmed. “Nobody has the right to decide that someone, or a group of people, are not part of society. We have to decide to live our life in a way that includes all people.“ Dr. Farmer spoke of the need to “not only stand in solidarity, but to provide material solidarity as well.” But in order to do that, first “we must speak to the poor. We have to know them. We have to give the floor to those whom we are talking about — to give them the floor and let them talk,” Dr. Farmer said.

The panel discussion was moderated by Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, Vice-president and Academic Dean at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. “We have been talking about the poor quite a bit today, but it is quite important to hear from those we have been speaking about,” she said. The event was part of a three-day Dominican conference marking the order’s 800th Anniversary. Run by the Southern Dominican Province of St. Martin de Porres, The conference, entitled “Living our Legacy,” was attended by more than 250 Dominican friars, sisters, and laypersons. The panel discussion, which was open to the public, was part of the University of Dallas’ Landregan Lecture series.