This Sunday marks the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time and the World Day of the Poor, an initiative introduced by Pope Francis. The day aims to prompt the Catholic community to translate their beliefs into social action, encouraging practical support for those experiencing poverty. Churches worldwide participate in various ways, seeking to address social need through visible action.
This year, Pope Leo XIV’s message for the day is themed “The Lord is the refuge of the poor [cf. Psalm 14,6].” He highlights the persistence of social injustice and corruption, noting that poverty today is not merely about material deprivation but also about the loss of voice and visibility for those on society’s margins. Social inequality continues to isolate the poor, while broader society often turns inward, distracted by daily life or material pursuits. The pope describes this ongoing indifference as both deplorable and discriminatory.
Poverty has, in many ways, become a statistical issue. Policy makers and officials tend to focus on whether poverty rates rise or fall, often at the expense of recognizing the humanity of those behind the numbers. In a society that values efficiency and data, it’s easy to overlook the lived realities of people experiencing poverty—and such abstraction can breed indifference or reinforce stereotypes.
The Hong Kong Catholic Commission for Labour Affairs has focused on local labour and poverty issues for years. Through seminars, poverty experiential activities, exhibitions, and policy advocacy, it has worked to increase understanding of the circumstances faced by low-income communities and to encourage direct engagement with grassroots families and workers.
This year, the commission is collaborating with the Margaret Tong Lo Fung Hin Faculty of Social Sciences at Saint Francis University, the University Chaplaincy, and the Franciscans in Hong Kong to organize an exhibition, “The Word Became Flesh—Hearing and Seeing Working Poverty in Hong Kong.” The program also includes a public reflection on poverty policies and the World Day of the Poor, as well as community gatherings intended to express solidarity with those experiencing poverty.
It is a collective responsibility to address poverty with both compassion and practical action, ensuring that no one is left behind by society. SE
