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According to Obikwelu, preferential option for the poor is:

The love of and preference for the poor, generally known as the option for the poor… It is a move introduced by the Church in the footstep of her master, Jesus Christ, to see that the poor among us do not suffer and are not neglected. Jesus Christ himself became poor for our sake; teaching detachment, trust in God, sobriety, and readiness to share. It was among the humble; the poor of Yahweh who were thirsting for justice of the Kingdom that he found a response (2006: 107-108).

What is obvious about the preferential option for the poor principle is that, it puts the poor at the centre of mission emanating from Jesus’ teachings. Obikwelu expound on this when he remarks that “the early Christians made efforts to see that they helped the poor among them, for example, helping the widows in Jerusalem and collections were carried out in

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Macedonia and Achaia on the Greek peninsula to help those in need among the saints in Jerusalem (2006: 107-108).

Taking into account of the above, Bingemer contends that:

The option for the poor pertains to the very marrow of biblical revelation and the gospel. The very identity of the God of Christianity is unintelligible without the gratuitous, preferential, crazy, and unapologetic [sin explicacious] love that God shows for the weak and oppressed of this world, to the point that, that perspective is what marks from beginning to end the incarnatory process of God’s son. While there is faith on earth, the poor will continue to be the privileged ones of God, preferential object of God’s love and attention, and of interest of every theology that wants to remain worthy of its name and mission (2010: 944).

The Libertatis Conscientia document also reflects that:

This special option for the poor, far from being a sign of particularism or sectarianism, manifests the universality of the Church’s being and mission; this option excludes no one. This is the reason why she cannot make this preference a partisan choice and a source of conflict (Libertatis Conscientia, 1986: 68).

To further demonstrate how the Catholic Church values preference for the poor, insights from the council of Bishops of Latin America of 1968 in their second meeting of CELAM which took place in Medellin, records the following:

The clergy have to relate their lives and words to the demands of the Gospel. They must give preference to the poorest and most needy sectors and to those segregated for any cause whatever, sharpening their duty of solidarity with the poor to which charity leads them. The solidarity means that we make ours their problems and their struggles that we know how to speak with them. Human advancement must be the goal of our action on behalf of the poor man. We must respect his dignity and help him to help himself (CELAM, 1968: 8-11). From the aforestated, it has been demonstrated that the Catholic Church’s position on poverty is a practical approach of wanting to struggle with the poor because they are God’s preference. But for the Church to achieve that, there is need to put in place some practical mechanism. McDonald, (2010: 64) posits that if the above principles were to achieve a just society, the following should be observed:

i. A close understanding of social reality, based on adequate information, a nuanced history and analysis of the issues involved. In this sense CST demand a free social environment, wherein, information can be gathered, discussed, and analysed. It demands the ability to listen to facts and to the

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feelings of people, especially the marginalised, voiceless, and impoverished.

ii. A values framework for deciding what is good, life-giving, and fulfilling. Values are ideals we strive for. They help us envision life possibilities and help us imagine alternatives to the life we live. Moral principles give us guidelines for attaining practical goals, helping us to realise our visions. The values framework encourages realising specific values on the one hand, and denouncing and combating all that degrades and destroy the human person, human relationships, and relationships with the rest of God’s creations. As John Paul II wrote in ecclesia in Africa, “The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of evangelisation in the social field, which is an aspect of the church’s prophetic role.

iii. Planning for action as a response to address issues of social justice. This planning must consider the capabilities of the Church and society with respect to the knowledge, skills, emotional capacity of personal, as well as institutional relevance and facility, taking advantage of social solidarity with the structures of the universal Church, and other regional and continental bodies.

In view of the above, it is evident that the Catholic Church through the CST aims to promote socioeconomic transformation by way of identifying herself with the poor. This approach is a clear demonstration that the Catholic Church’s ministry to the poor is holistic, it does not only focus on the salvation of souls and charity work, but also carries out a prophetic ministry to speak to unjust structures that oppress the poor in order for humanity to be dignified.

2.5.2 Protestantism and Poverty