India's Poor Suffer Despite Rich Mineral Wealth

MUMBAI, India - The World Day of the Poor marked yesterday with Archbishop Vincent Aind of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, sounding the alarm about widespread poverty among India's Christian population.

According to the archbishop, many citizens in Jharkhand are poor economically and struggle with various forms of poverty, including a lack of education, motivation, and spiritual nourishment. He noted that despite the state's rich mineral wealth and forest resources, a majority of people living in the area are impoverished.

Jharkhand is home to approximately 28 million Christians, mostly from tribal and Dalit communities who have historically seen Christianity as a means of social emancipation. However, these groups face significant challenges, including difficulties in obtaining identification documents, which prevents them from accessing basic services like banking and legal residence.

The archbishop urged the communities to "wake up" to address their poverty and encouraged those concerned with the poor to provide support.

Pope Francis instituted the World Day of the Poor in 2017, and this year's theme was reflected by Archbishop Aind's poignant message. He emphasized that recognizing one's own poverty is crucial for spiritual growth and change, declaring that "The prayer of the poor rises up to God."

As part of the day's observances, events are being organized across dioceses worldwide to highlight issues faced by the world's impoverished communities.

In Ranchi, Archbishop Aind called on Catholics to care for the poor in all their forms, from economic and social poverty to spiritual hunger. The archbishop emphasized that understanding and addressing these different dimensions of poverty is essential for genuine progress in fighting poverty and inequality.