Original scientific paper

THE POOR - A THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Ivica Raguž orcid.org/0000-0002-0083-0325 ; Catholic Faculty of Theology, J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Đakovo, Croatia

Abstract

The aim of this article is to point to the most important theological reasons why the poor occupy or should occupy a central, privileged place in the Church. This will be demonstrated on the basis of Holly Scriptures, where the poor occupy a privileged place. The centre of our reflections are not the poor as such in the Scriptures, but God's relationship towards the poor and the reason behind this kind of relationship to the poor. The central thesis of the article is that there is a threefold aspect of speaking about the poor and poverty in the Scriptures: the real poor, the poor in spirit and the evangelical counsel of poverty. Taking into account the threefold approach to the poor, the final chapter offers some concrete guidelines for the Church, especially for priests and bishops, for their service to the poor. This will again be examined in three ways: the Church for the poor, the Church of the poor, and the poor Church.

Keywords

poverty; the poor; Pope Francis; the poor Church; the Church of the poor; priest, bishop

Hrčak ID:

134073

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/134073

Publication date:

9.2.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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