By Daniela Alba | Advocacy Coordinator, Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat

Dear friends, brothers and sisters,

As we observe the Jubilee of the Poor, I write to you from Belém do Pará, Brazil, where COP30 is currently underway. The Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES), alongside over 30 partners and collaborators, has been actively present on the ground, advancing the “Jesuits for Climate Justice: Faith in Action at COP30” Campaign. Today, I wish to speak about the experience of poverty as it is often framed solely in terms of material possessions. Poverty is commonly seen as a lack of money, access, equity, or basic necessities. Yet, true poverty runs far deeper and manifests in many forms affecting us all.

Poverty is not simply the absence of material wealth; it is also a spiritual condition. While the economic gap between rich and poor widens amid the escalating climate crisis, forced displacement, and relentless wars fueled by increasingly greedy private corporations, we must resist the temptation to frame “the poor” only as victims of these violations. We must also recognize the poverty of those who perpetuate and finance such suffering. One can possess all the riches of the world yet still be poor in spirit – lacking tolerance, embodying indifference, or practicing selective apathy when confronted with uncomfortable truths like the impacts of the climate crisis. Spiritual poverty, as taught in the Beatitudes, is our awareness of the need for grace, mercy, and love – an openness beyond our own experience toward a larger reality.

To marginalize others based solely on economic status, social class, or academic knowledge is to ignore this vital truth. Material wealth without generosity, solidarity, justice, and love is another form of poverty – one that hardens hearts and divides us from human fraternity and from the divine. The truth is that no amount of possessions can compensate for this poverty. When we hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, we must have the courage to acknowledge that “the poor” includes us all – not only those most vulnerable or least responsible for these crises but also those who believe their distance from suffering exempts them from responsibility. The Earth, rich in biodiversity and resources, confronts us with our desire to control her, forgetting that we are part of her. Such domineering attitudes reveal a poverty within, allowing us to cling to comfort and indifference.

This Jubilee of the Poor invites us to reflect on this profound poverty. To those who judge the poor or turn away from their suffering; to those who see forcibly displaced people only as economic contributors; who consider homelessness a choice; or who treat human trafficking as an isolated human rights issue – know that poverty also means hubris, isolation, greed, spiritual emptiness, and absence of hope. To be truly rich is to recognize our shared dignity and to welcome one another with mercy and justice, especially for those who protect 80% of Earth’s biodiversity while comprising less than 5% of the world’s population.

Therefore, I humbly urge us all not to be satisfied with material comforts, academic knowledge, or social status alone. Let us all, no matter our condition, strive to live with humility and compassion that breaks down the walls of prejudice and exclusion within this world and within our hearts. Let us be rich in love, generous in solidarity, and committed to justice. Only then can we truly embody the Jubilee’s call to fraternity and justice and walk together as pilgrims of hope – caring for our one common home and for one another.