We seek to direct our gaze to the suffering poor man, the UGCC bishops in a post-synodal message

In the first part of the message, the bishops recall that Heavenly Father Himself, in whose heart the poor have a special place, through the prophet Isaiah, calls us to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke, to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood.

The bishops see the example of the good Samaritan, which is worth following, as relevant in this context.

"In order not to turn our hearts away from the suffering brothers and sisters who are close to us, we want, imitating the merciful Samaritan, to stop before human misery and bow over it in the gesture of merciful and compassionate love that the Lord infuses into our souls by His Spirit," reads the message.

In the document, the bishops of the UGCC, following the Holy Father Francis, gave an open list of pain and suffering, which, as they say, from centuries to the present is supplemented by specific and painful experiences of each nation, each family, and each person:

• the poverty of those who suffer - physically, morally, or mentally;
• the poverty of the marginalized, lonely, rejected, and ignored by society;
• the poverty of victims of abuse of power and influence;
• the poverty of those who are exploited for profit and trampled upon by the distorted logic of power and money;
• the poverty of those doomed to exile, persecution and torture, and prisoners;
• poverty of victims of war, conflicts, terrorism;

• poverty of those who are deprived of freedom, rights, and dignity;
• the poverty of illiteracy and ignorance that keeps millions of young minds and souls in the dark;
• the poverty of intellect and culture, which offers a low-level surrogate, instead of elevating a person to the heights of the spirit;
• poverty of spirit, closed to God's reality, deprived of the light of faith and knowledge of Christ the Savior;
• the moral poverty of those immersed in sin and enslaved by disordered desires;
• poverty of the unemployed who are deprived of medical and basic social care;
• poverty of refugees, migrants, migrant workers, homeless people, etc.

Contemplating these many manifestations of poverty, the bishops recall the invitation of the Holy Father to recognize in the faces of the poor of this world the present Christ, in order to lean over them and extend a hand of compassion and help, to pour the oil of consolation and merciful love on the wounds of humanity.

The full text of the Message of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC "You will be left with one thing - what you gave to the poor!" can be found here: https://docs.ugcc.ua/1490/

The UGCC Department for Information