1. Healthcare

 CatholicSocialTeaching
QuotesonPovertyandHunger
Itisnotfromyourownpossessionsthatyouarebestowingaimsonthepoor,youarebutrestoringto
themwhatistheirsbyright.Forwhatwasgiventoeveryonefortheuseofall,youhavetakenforyour
exclusiveuse.Theearthbelongsnottotherich,buttoeveryone.Thus,farfromgivinglavishly,youare
butpayingpartofyourdebt.
—StAmbrose
Its[theChurch's]desireisthatthepoorshouldriseabovepovertyandwretchedness,and
shouldbettertheirconditioninlife;andforthisitstrives.
— PopeLeoXIII,RerumNovarum(1891),paragraph23
Thesolidaritywhichbindshumanitytogetherasmembersofacommonfamilymakesit
impossibleforwealthynationstolookwithindifferenceuponthehunger,miseryand
povertyofothernationswhosecitizensareunabletoenjoyevenelementaryhumanrights.
Thenationsoftheworldarebecomingmoreandmoredependentononeanotheranditwill
notbepossibletopreservealastingpeacesolongasglaringeconomicandsocial
imbalancespersist.
— PopeJohnXXIII,MateretMagistra(1961),paragraph157
Everymanhastherighttolife,tobodilyintegrity,andtothemeanswhicharesuitableforthe
properdevelopmentoflife;theseareprimarilyfood,clothing,shelter,rest,medicalcare,andfinally
thenecessarysocialservices.
— PopeJohnXXIII,PaceminTerris(1963),paragraph11
Thejoysandthehopes,thegriefsandtheanxietiesofthe[men]ofthisage,especiallythose
whoarepoororinanywayafflicted,thesearethejoysandhopes,thegriefsandanxietiesof
thefollowersofChrist.
— DocumentsoftheSecondVaticanCouncil,GaudiumetSpes(1965),paragraph1
Facedwithaworldtodaywheresomanypeoplearesufferingfromwant,thecouncilasks
individualsandgovernmentstorememberthesayingoftheFathers:"Feedthepeopledyingof
hunger,becauseifyoudonotfeedthemyouarekillingthem,"anditurgesthemaccordingtotheir
abilitytoshareanddisposeoftheirgoodstohelpothers,aboveallbygivingthemaidwhichwill
enablethemtohelpanddevelopthemselves.
— DocumentsoftheSecondVaticanCouncil,GaudiumetSpes(1965),paragraph69
Todaythepeoplesinhungeraremakingadramaticappealtothe
peoplesblessedwithabundance.
— PopePaulVI,PopulorumProgressio(1967),paragraph3
...thesuperfluouswealthofrichcountriesshouldbeplacedattheserviceofpoornations.
— PopePaulVI,PopularumProgressio(1967),paragraph49
Inteachinguscharity,theGospelinstructsusinthepreferentialrespectduetothepoorand
thespecialsituationtheyhaveinsociety;themorefortunateshouldrenouncesomeoftheir
rightssoastoplacetheirgoodsmoregenerouslyattheserviceofothers.
— PopePaulVI,OctogesimaAdveniens(1971),paragraph23
Thosewhoaremoreinfluentialbecausetheyhavegreatershareofgoodsandcommonservices
shouldfeelresponsiblefortheweakerandbereadytosharewiththemalltheypossess...the
churchfeelscalledtotakeherstandbesidethepoor,todiscernthejusticeoftheirrequestsandto
helpsatisfythem,withoutlosingsightofthegoodofgroupsinthecontextofthecommongood.
— PopeJohnPaulII,SolicitudoReiSocialis(1987),paragraph39
AconsistentthemeofCatholicsocialteachingistheoptionorloveofpreferenceforthepoor.
Today,thispreferencehastobeexpressedinworldwidedimensions,embracingtheimmense
numbersofthehungry,theneedy,thehomeless,thosewithoutmedicalcare,andthosewithout
hope.
— PopeJohnPaulII,SolicitudoReiSocialis(1987),paragraph42
…loveforwidowsandorphans,prisoners,andthesickandneedyofeverykind,isasessentialto
[theChurch]astheministryofthesacramentsandpreachingoftheGospel.TheChurchcannot
neglecttheserviceofcharityanymorethanshecanneglecttheSacramentsandtheWord.
— PopeBenedictVXI,DeusCaritasEst(2005),paragraph22
JesustaughthisdisciplestopraybyaskingtheHeavenlyFathernotfor"my"butfor"our"daily
bread.Thus,hedesiredeverypersontofeelco‐responsibleforhisbrotherssothatnoone
wouldwantforwhatheneedsinordertolive.Theearth'sproduceformsagiftwhich
Godhasdestined"fortheentirehumanfamily”.
— PopeBenedictXVI,Angelus,12November2006
‘Feedthehungry’(cf.Mt25:35,37,42)isanethicalimperativeforthe
universalChurchassherespondstotheteachingsofherFounder,theLord
Jesus,concerningsolidarityandthesharingofgoods.Moreover,the
eliminationofworldhungerhasalso,intheglobalera,becomearequirement
forsafeguardingthepeaceandstabilityoftheplanet.
— PopeBenedictXVI,CaritasinVeritate(2009),paragraph27
Letusneverforgetthatauthenticpowerisservice,andthatthePopetoo,whenexercising
power,mustenterevermorefullyintothatservicewhichhasitsradiantculminationonthe
Cross.Hemustbeinspiredbythelowly,concreteandfaithfulservicewhichmarkedSaint
Josephand,likehim,hemustopenhisarmstoprotectallofGod'speopleandembracewith
tenderaffectionthewholeofhumanity,especiallythepoorest,theweakest,theleastimportant,
thosewhomMatthewlistsinthefinaljudgmentonlove:thehungry,thethirsty,thestranger,
thenaked,thesickandthoseinprison(cf.Mt25:31‐46).
— PopeFrancis,InstallationHomily,March2013
Letusrememberwell,however,thatwheneverfoodisthrownoutitisasifitwerestolenfromthe
tableofthepoor,fromthehungry!
— PopeFrancis,GeneralAudience,June5,2013
Awayhastobefoundtoenableeveryonetobenefitfromthefruitsoftheearth,andnotsimply
toclosethegapbetweentheaffluentandthosewhomustbesatisfiedwiththecrumbsfalling
fromthetable,butabovealltosatisfythedemandsofjustice,fairnessandrespectforevery
humanbeing.
— PopeFrancis,AddresstotheFoodandAgriculturalOrganization,June20,2013