Taking From the Rich and Giving to the Poor?

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May 12, 2010, 12:55 ET

To end poverty in America we must think and act anew, says Rev. Larry Snyder in new blog

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Robin Hood's arrival at neighborhood theaters this weekend has not gone unnoticed along the banks of the Potomac. That is where Rev. Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, leads a campaign to reduce poverty in America. Today he rolled out the latest weapon in this campaign: his new blog, www.thinkandactanew.org, where he is hosting a nationwide conversation to refocus society on the value of each human being.

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Citing Pope Benedict XVI in Caritas in Veritate, Fr. Snyder reminds everyone - governments, business, and individuals - that "the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is the human person. Man is the source, the focus, and the aim of all economic and social life."

Noting that an economic structure that leaves millions behind is fundamentally flawed, Fr. Snyder states that restructuring "requires innovative and fundamental change in how we think and how we act. We need big, innovative ideas about how to meld our market economy with the common good so as to avoid collateral damage in the future." Fr. Snyder points to a proposal in the U.K., the Robin Hood Tax, and challenges readers to discuss how this model would work in the United States. Fr. Snyder will continue to post innovative ideas and challenges, and invites all Americans to join him in pursuing solutions to 21st century poverty.

The Think and Act Anew blog is the most recent in a series of initiatives Fr. Snyder is employing to raise awareness and find solutions to poverty in America. In September 2009, a year after Wall Street's near collapse added millions to the ranks of the poor, Fr. Snyder began a series of regional leadership summits and an online discussion forum that has engaged hundreds of Catholic Charities directors and community leaders. Think and Act Anew opens this discussion to everyone.

"When you are standing in line to see Robin Hood this weekend," Fr. Snyder says, "think about the people around the corner who are standing in line for a meal, or a place to sleep. Robin Hood's was a medieval solution. But now we need 21st century solutions to poverty."

Catholic Charities USA's members -- more than 1,700 local Catholic Charities agencies and institutions nationwide -- provide help and create hope for nearly 9 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds. For almost 300 years, Catholic Charities agencies have worked to reduce poverty by providing a myriad of vital services in their communities, ranging from health care and job training to food and housing. In 2010, Catholic Charities USA celebrates its centennial anniversary. For more information, visit www.CatholicCharitiesUSA.org.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA