Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Catholic teaching proclaims that the moral test of society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. This calls us to look at public policy decisions in terms of how they affect the poor. In our present society, a minority of 20% of the people control more than 80% of the resources, leaving few resources to be shared by a majority of the people.
“In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt. 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first” (Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions, USCCB, 1998).