Around 700 million people live on less than $2.15 daily, the extreme poverty line.
After decades of progress, the pace of global poverty reduction began to slow by 2015, in tandem with subdued economic growth. The Sustainable Development Goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 still needs to be reached.
“Whenever we encounter a poor person, we cannot look away, for that would prevent us from encountering the face of the Lord Jesus,” the Pope challenged on the World Day of the Poor in 2023
“When we think of the immense numbers of the poor in our midst,” he also said, “the message of today’s Gospel is clear: let us not bury the wealth of the Lord! Let us spread the wealth of charity, share our bread, and multiply love!”
At the recent Roman Nights, organized by the EWTN Vatican Bureau, one of the panel guests Marco Maximilian Elser, an Italian American businessman, shared, “I believe in giving back—the Gospel of Saint Luke, the Parable of the Talents. If you have talents, you’ve got to give them back. There’s no need to put them underground.”
Mauro Garofalo, head of International Relations for the Community of Sant’Egidio, and Sister Santina Bartolini, a member of the Pope John XXIII Community, were also present on the panel. Andreas Thonhauser, EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief, moderated the event.
This edition of Roman Nights was held at the Community of Sant’Egidio’s Soup Kitchen on Via Dandolo 10 in Rome.
Garofalo highlighted the significance of the location of the event, explaining, “We are in a beautiful place which is also a legendary place for us in Sant’Egidio because this is the first soup kitchen founded by Sant’Egidio.
In the over 30 years it has been open, more than 200,000 people have been welcomed, and more than 3 million meals have been consumed.
“You can consider this place as a sort of school of solidarity for thousands of people,” Garofalo continued. “Also, I have learned what solidarity means in this place. This is a soup kitchen. It gives food to thousands of people every week. But it is also a place where poor people are the best guests. They are the guests of honor.”
Lack of food is one of the most severe aspects of poverty.
The first Community soup kitchen was made in Rome out of such awareness. Many charitable efforts depend on the generosity and support of the wider business community.
Marco Maximilian Elser is also an investor deeply committed to charitable initiatives. He is on the board of Fondazione Operation Smile Italy, which has treated hundreds of thousands of children born with cleft lips and palates. Without this care, the lives of these children would be very difficult.
Elser explained, “In the underdeveloped world, you are not able to drink milk from your mother. You are ostracized. You’re considered a devil, a demon, and you are set aside. And with a 45-minute piece of surgery, your life changed like this. And when the child who’s seen himself as a monster looks himself in the mirror, or herself in the mirror, with the new smile they have, it gives you goosebumps.”
Sister Santina Bartolini, a devoted caretaker and missionary from the Pope John XXIII Community, has dedicated her life to serving the needy across multiple continents, from Italy to Zambia.
Sister Santina shared with the audience that everyone can give love and that no life is disposable.
“In the relationship with people,” she shared, “I understood that no matter how handicapped you are, there is so much love that you can give. Filippo was brought to us when he was five years old and weighed 5 kilograms. And people looking at him said, we brought you a vegetable, and instead, I saw something extremely beautiful. And living with him, I understood that it is love that gives you the real understanding of what is beauty.”
In our daily lives, whether in bustling cities, quiet suburban towns, or the serene countryside, many individuals are forced to live on the streets for various reasons. Their lives are often marked by poverty, isolation, invisibility, and sometimes even contempt. However, simple acts of kindness—stopping for a chat, offering help, or extending friendship—can make a profound difference. These gestures embody the spirit of the Good Samaritan and put the Gospel into action, bridging the gap of indifference and bringing light into the lives of those who need it most.
Adapted by Jacob Stein
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