The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical letter “Caritas in veritate,” said, “Justice is the primary way of charity.” In making this point, he was emphasizing that we concern ourselves not only with charity—demonstrating our love of God and neighbor by giving what is ours to another—but also justice: that is, ensuring that every person has what they are due by virtue of being created by God.
That is why I am pleased to welcome you to the seventh annual Justice for ALL dinner, because it provides us with the opportunity to celebrate those in our midst who have worked so tirelessly on behalf of the common good and to promote justice for all God’s people. Robert T. Healey, Sister Helen Owens, and Alyce Parker have worked for years to improve the lives of the communities in which they serve. Catholic Charities USA, which celebrates its Centennial this year, was founded in 1910 as a forceful advocate for those without economic and political power and has been at the forefront of promoting the common good ever since.
In recent times, of course, we have experienced great economic distress. We know people who have lost jobs and have gone long periods without work. We know many who are struggling to meet their mortgage, pay their rent and utilities, put food on the table, and provide adequate health care and education for their children. We know others whose poverty and need are so deep, so profound, so jarring that it drives us out of our own zones of comfort to help alleviate their suffering, to lift them out of distress, and to ensure that they have what they need to live in a way worthy of their God-given dignity.
Certainly, in a particular way, our support of Catholic Charities and the social ministries of the Church manifest our lasting commitment to serving the most vulnerable men, women and children among us. It is my prayerful hope that we will use this wonderful event not only to celebrate what already has been accomplished, but also to recommit ourselves to be, in the midst of suffering and despair, signposts of justice, hope, and God’s all-encompassing love.