Compassion

+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
29 Feb 2004

“Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward”.

I read these words of Jesus just as I started preparing a few lines about Project Compassion, the Lenten programme of giving for overseas relief aid and development run by the Australian Catholic agency Caritas.  I decided to continue.

Last Lent Caritas raised $6,400,000.  As the larger part of the work continues outside Lent, they collected just under $14,500,000 in 2003, mostly from Australian Catholics.

During the past five or ten years the sins and crimes of Catholics and other Christians have sometimes been headline news.  In fact the exposure has been repetitive and sometimes disproportionate.  Therefore it is only just to point out that Christian good works continue undiminished.  Project Compassion is only one part of this.

Nor is fund-raising the most important activity for Christians during Lent, when the main thrust is to conversion of heart, spiritual renewal through prayer and penance.  These are acts of self denial so that our weakness is mastered and we better practise what we preach.  Just as some diet to make their bodies healthy, so Christians (and those of other religious traditions) fast or eat less to make more room in their hearts for God and for unselfish love.

Caritas programmes have a number of important characteristics.  They are based on the concept of partnership between donors and recipients, where there is an emphasis on local decision making and participation.  Help is offered regardless of race, gender or creed and the primary objective is sustainable, long term development rather than responding only to tragedies like earthquakes, civil war or famine.

In 2003  77% of expenditure was spent outside Australia, something which makes me feel very proud.  The disadvantaged in Australia should be the first priority for Australians, but poverty and misery overseas are often far worse.

Some, not many, refuse to give to Caritas saying the money should be spent only in Australia.  However the more general pattern is that those who are generous to fellow Australians are also generous to those overseas.  Usually those who are mean are mean across the board.  They never have anything to spare.

The worst problems of disadvantage in Australia are spiritual and intractable, incapable of any solution simply through money; such as the damage caused by alcohol, heroin, promiscuity and family breakdown.

There are many more situations overseas where aid can help through providing literacy programmes, clean water, inoculations and through the expansion of trade.  Not to mention care and support for the refugees from tragedies.

Caritas is not alone in this good work.  There are many other Christian agencies and a few secular ones.

A person can be a giver without being good, but a person cannot be good without being a giver.