Diocese, state's bishops call for new efforts to help needy

A document about to be released by Catholic Charities of the Albany Diocese asserts that poverty is on the rise in the Diocese and that Catholics must come to the aid of needy New Yorkers.

"Rebuilding the Covenant with the Poor: A Look at Poverty in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and a Call to Action on Behalf of the Poor" is a supplement to a new pastoral letter on poverty by the bishops of New York State, "The Covenant with the Poor and Vulnerable People in New York State."

"Rebuilding the Covenant" includes:

* the bishops' pastoral letter;

* a letter from Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, who also chairs the national Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), on the need to support CCHD in fighting for affordable housing, day care, health care, jobs, food, welfare and criminal justice reform, help for immigrants, leadership training, and grassroots organizing;

* statistics on how Catholic Charities fulfills promises made in the pastoral letter;

* detailed information on seven major indicators that lead to poverty; and

* recommendations for changes on the county, state and federal levels, along with suggestions on how Catholics can promote those changes.

Letter from Bishop

In his letter, Bishop Hubbard notes that one in four working families in New York State are low-income and that nearly 36 percent of Americans living in poverty are children.

"I believe that Catholics in the Albany Diocese, fortified with knowledge about and committed to the principles espoused by the CCHD, can move toward improving the situation in our area and advocating for the less fortunate in our own towns, villages and cities," he asserts.

One way to do so, he says, is by attending the March 8 Public Policy Forum at the State Capitol, where Catholics from across the state will lobby their legislators on issues of concern (see sidebar). The state's bishops plan to release their pastoral letter at a press conference at the forum.

Bishops' pastoral

A draft of the pastoral letter builds on Bishop Hubbard's words, asking Catholics to recall Church social teachings, which mandate that Catholics protect human life and dignity.

"As pastors, we know the people of our state," the bishops write. "We have...talked with people who are homeless or out of work, people who come to our parish food pantries, who sleep in our parish shelters. We know the people who come to our hospitals, seek help at our social service agencies and enroll their children in our schools....

"We write this pastoral letter...committed to solidarity with all of the people of New York, and dedicated to ensuring that 'those who are poor' are both protected and provided opportunity to participate fully in the bountiful benefits and blessings of our state."

Catholic Charities

According to statistics cited in a draft version of the document, the Albany Diocese has sponsored 200,000 services to the needy in the past year through Catholic Charities, in addition to services provided by the Diocese's four Catholic hospitals, seven nursing homes and other programs and agencies.

In 2004, the non-reimbursed portion of this aid exceeded $40 million. Catholic schools in the Diocese also educate 10,000 students.

In the draft version, Catholic Charities officials reiterate previously stated concerns that Gov. George Pataki's 2005 state budget plans to cut Medicaid and the Family Health Plus program for the working poor, as well as eliminate Catholic Charities' "Wheels to Work" program, which provides cars for the needy, a project that has even been applauded by the state Labor Department.

Clues on poverty

The document refutes many myths about the poor, noting that two-thirds of people living in poverty in the U.S. are Caucasian, more than half are headed by a married couple, 40 percent are employed, and many families slip in and out of poverty as their situation improves or worsens.

The 2002 U.S. census estimated that between 9 and 12 percent of the population in the 14 counties of the Albany Diocese lives below the poverty line, with the highest percentage (12.3 percent) in Montgomery and Schoharie Counties, and the lowest (5.8 percent) in Saratoga County.

Seven indicators affecting poverty in the Diocese are listed in the draft: unemployment, working at lower-income jobs, lack of education, rising housing and health insurance costs (or lack of health care), increased likelihood of being either a victim or perpetrator of crime, and decreased well-being of children (due to abuse, low-quality child care, poor nutrition, lack of health care and other factors).

Recommendations

To "rebuild the covenant with the poor," the document suggests a host of "interlocking" recommendations, including:

* committing to a living wage for workers;

* funding the Earned Income Tax Credit and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for the working poor;

* creating jobs and providing training;

* allowing school choice, and boosting early childhood intervention and school aid for poor children;

* funding programs like Catholic Charities' Grandparents as Parents, respite, parent education, foster care, pregnancy prevention and runaway youth services;

* increasing affordable housing and related services;

* funding Medicaid and Family Health Plus, streamlining access to them, and giving incentives to healthcare workers in poor areas; and

* cultivating a "culture of life" through eradicating violence, infant mortality, teenage suicide and capital punishment.

Specific suggestions for governmental changes are also included, as well as ways parishioners and parish leaders can act on these, from religious education programs engaging young people in service work to pastors' speaking on social justice themes in homilies.

"Every person of faith can employ the power of prayer" to urge policy-makers to enact change, the draft document adds.

More on poverty document

The "covenant" referred to in the document stems from the biblical description of God making a covenant with the people of Israel, promising to help them if they obeyed the Ten Commandments and fulfilled their responsibilities to God and neighbor.

"The quality of the society's relationship with God depended upon how they treated the least powerful members," states a draft of the document. "The Gospel and our [Church's] social teaching require special concern and attention toward people who are struggling with poverty."

Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, director of Albany diocesan Catholic Charities, called "Rebuilding the Covenant with the Poor" both a backdrop to the new pastoral letter on poverty by New York's bishops and a "jumping-off point" for Catholics to use in lobbying lawmakers at the upcoming Public Policy Forum.

"The document is a work in progress," added Martha Pofit, Catholic Charities' director of public policy.

She hopes to further explore more specific needs in the Diocese through future position papers; for instance, poverty among rural residents and the elderly. (Poverty levels have been found to be extremely high in rural Delaware and Otsego counties, as well as Schenectady County, which is more urban.)

Also in the works is a study guide on the document for parishes and Catholic schools. Jeanne Schrempf of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis said the guide should be released in the fall.

The agenda issues on which Catholics will lobby state lawmakers next week during the annual Public Policy Forum are:

* support for parental choice and fair funding in education,

* promotion of ethical stem-cell research and a ban on embryo experimentation,

* abolishing the death penalty,

* ensuring safe and affordable housing,

* securing funding and equity for behavioral health services,

* continuing reform of the Rockefeller-era drug sentencing laws, and

* maintaining Medicaid benefits and adequate health coverage.

(To get a copy of "Rebuilding the Covenant" or find out more about the Public Policy Forum, call Catholic Charities, 453-6650.)(KB)

(3/3/05)