Caritatea creştină
Christian charity

Summary/Abstract: Christians have contributed the most beautiful pages in the history of humanity through their love for God and their fellow people. Martyric heroism and evangelical charity have elevated man to the highest degree of virtue, offering moral teachings never paralleled and not even conceivable outside Christianity. From the outset, Christianity was indeed paradoxical: Christians would lead an unusual life, angelically virtuous and otherworldly pure. Pagan Antiquity, whose culture has bequeathed to us many admirable things, was however unable to surpass in the moral realm some beautiful precepts (such as the Stoic ones) or some individual generous deeds or virtues, which however were exceptions. The society as a whole was never touched and pervaded by great ideas and sublime feelings, such as those governing the astonishing life of Christians, a life of unfathomable love. It was something completely new, unknown and never experienced until then. „God is love,” was the Christian teaching. Certainly, the old world had also known love, but not the divine one, and Christians renewed and transformed the moral life of humanity with their evangelical love, love for one’s neighbour – that is for every man, even one’s enemy. Pagan generosity, extended by either individuals or the state – which actually did spend great amounts – was liberality, rather than charity, because it was not motivated by love. Aid was offered out of political, social or demographic interests, out or pride, ambition or vanity. The social burden of the Church was heavy and difficult, but it carried this burden willingly despite the hardships entailed by persecutions. The Church first proceeded to identify and know all the needs, deprivations, sufferings. The names of the poor or ailing were registered and they regularly received aids. Together with the material support, the afflicted ones also received comfort and brotherly encouragement from the community. The bishops had to love the poor, and act as compassionate protectors, on a holy mission. The Church was a charitable institution not only as a community, but also through every individual Christian. Thus Christian charity circulated within the Church and in the world, as a new way of life, relieving suffering, alleviating pain and bringing about general spiritual elevation, perfecting human soul. From Christian to Christian, from community to community, it created brotherly bonds in the spirit of evangelical love. The bond of faith and love united the Christians across the world in one body: Christians were the members, and Christ – the Head of the Church. Christian charity proved admirable and highly beneficial during the era of persecutions, when the Church itself was poor and destitute; later, after the emperor and the state became Christian, philanthropy also became the task of social institutions, organized and endowed with the necessary means to conduct their meritorious charitable purposes, as the Church gained the support of the state and of sociey in an unprecedented alliance in the world. The number of Christians later increased considerably. Once a persecuted minority, they became a privileged majority. The social work of the Church thus had to be extended much further, charity work had to be organized in new forms. Coming out of catacombs, prisons, mines, personal homes, hidden assemblies, the Church was thriving and now operated openly, was able to address broader social issues, seek sustainable solutions, find richer sources than the contributions of the poor. It now worked overtly and sought to assist, correct and save not only individuals, but the entire society and the whole world. Individual, personal charitable acts were thus paralleled by public, institutional philanthropy, in order to meet the needs of the society. Saint Basil the Great and Saint John Chrysostom in the East, Saint Ambrosius and Blessed Augustine in the West, followed by every bishop in his own eparchy, preached and embodied Christian charity with unwavering zeal and determination. Their writings provide a Christian apology of mercy, which is a Christian economic-social doctrine, highly „advanced” in the case of Saint John Chrysostom. The hospital was a new, very important form of charity, which the world adopted after the model of the Church. Saint John Chrysostom, who had found a hospital in Constantinople, established six more. Charitable establishments and deeds are part of the astonishing charitable work of Saint Basil the Great, a model of Christian love and organization. He created a complete, fully-fledged charitable institution, unique even in the history of Christianity. His Basiliad was a wondrous work of evangelical love. Such great achievement could not only earn the admiration and inspire emulation from the part of Christians, but also stir the envy of heretics or pagans. Christian charity was not confined to almsgiving; it did not simply provide material support, but hearts and souls were dedicated to bringing relief and joy to the suffering ones. Christian compassion was the novel, active and strong feeling which animated and ennobled man and which turned the primitive man of nature into the better man of culture. The religion of mercy, through its lovingkindness, revealed and humanized the true man. Almsgiving is sacrifice and service to God, sharing with others the goods we have from Him out of our love for God and for our neighbour; it is an act that earns salvation. Whoever deems Christian charity to be a weakness, forgets that almsgiving is sacrifice, thus a heroic moral act of self-sacrifice, selflessness, self-giving, that is, an instantiation of the highest moral stance. Those who are selfish, greedy, mean, proud, are much weaker and inferior to the generous persons, and a giver’s merit is greater as he is poorer. The Church has the right to command attention and respect, in the name of Jesus Christ and of Christian charity. It had improved human character, changed interpersonal reationships, bridged social gaps, abolished vices, brought people together, turned them into a fraternity and placed each person in the service of their neighbour. Christian charity is not simply a virtue among others, but the sum of all virtues; it is not one humanitarian notion among others, but an ideal and philosophy of life, it is a new way of living.

• Details
• Contents