POOR
240
POOR
Fundamental and exemplary was the activity of St.
Vincent de Paul (d. 1660). In 1617 he founded the
Confrerie dc la Charitc, a women's association which, under the guidance of the parish priest, was to provide for the poor and the sick; in 1634 he founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, a visiting in- stitute under religious discipline, which has for cen- turies proved its efficacy in caring for the sick and in making provision for the poor; it combines centraliza- tion and strict discipline in administration with decentralization and adaptabihty in the reUef of the poor.
(13) The secularization of church property during the French Revolution and the succeeding period (1804) dealt a severe blow to ecclesiastical poor- relief. Comprehensive poor-laws were passed by several European states, but in no case were they such as to make ecclesiastical poor-reUef dispensable.
(14) Since the middle of the nineteenth century the development of industries, the growth of cities and freedom of emigration have reduced large num- bers of the population to poverty, and necessitated gigantic expenditure on the part of the community and State. The States sought by the legal protec- tion of labour in the form of workmen's insurance, factory laws, and commercial regulations, to prevent poverty and to render stricter and perfect the poor- regulations. Legislation is obliged to return to the old Christian principle of charitable institutions. In Germany and the neighbouring countries the "Elberfelder System" was adopted for the public care of the poor; this is based on personal contact between the almoner and the impoverished family, and combines the communal and private charitable activities. In South Germany, Austria, and Switzer- land, the communities employ more than formerly private bodies in their poorhouses and orphanages, religious congregations — e. g., the Sisters of Mercy founded by Father Theodosius Florentini (1S44, 1852) — being entru.sted with the internal adminis- tration of such State institutions. Regulations con- cerning the communities and estabhshments for poor-relief have been inaugurated widely to-day in districts, provinces, countries, and states.
(15) In addition to this state provision for the poor, ecclesiastical poor-relief has developed in re- cent times not merely in the parishes and reUgious orders, but also in an incalculable number of chari- table institutions. We shall name only the creches, schools for young children, institutions for orphans, weaklings, the deaf and dumb, the blind, cripples, unprotected children, protectories, Sunday-schools, protectorates for apprentices, the International As- sociation for the Protection of Girls, the Railway Mis- sion, hospices for servants, workwomen, fallen women, and women exposed to danger, the proNasion for liberated criminals, for emigrants, and the aged; women's charitable associations (e. g.. The Eliza- helhen — and Ludwigsvereine) ; the men's associations for poor-relief, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (founded 1833), the Charitable Students' Circles, the legal bureaux, the colonies of workmen, the tem- perance movement, and the inebriate asylums.
(16) While politico-religious Liberalism destroys ecclesiastical charitable institutions and persecutes the charitable congregations, the Christian love of neighbour continues to find new ways of providing for the poor. The necessity of securing unanimity of purpose among the various ecclesiastical institutions for the relief of the poor has called into life various diocesan and national unions for the organization of charity — e. g.: The Caritasverband Jut Dcutsch- la.id (1897), the Austrian Reichsverband der kath- olischen Wohltdtigskeitsorganisation (1900), the Cari- tasfaktion der schweizerische Kalholikenvereins (1899). On the Protestant side, the ecclesiastical care of the poor is organized especially by the Home Missions.
E. The organization of ecclesiastical poor-relief
is necessary to-day to bind together, after the fashion
of the early Christian charitable activity for the re-
pression and prevention of poverty, aD religious,
monastic, private, corporate, state, and communal
forces aiming at this object; while the varying na-
tional and local conditions demand a great diversity
in organization, in general the following must be the
guiding principles:
(1) For ecclesiastical poor-reUef the bishop must be the soul and centre of the diocesan organization. He directs undertakings affecting the entire or a great portion of the diocese, and regulates and super- vizes the general charitable activity of the parishes;
(2) The local pastor is the immediate director of the ecclesiastical poor-relief of his parish. Monas- tic orders labouring in the parish, charitable lay as- sociations, orphanages and institutes for the poor and sick are all under his direction. The parish- priest should endeavour to co-operate as far as pos- sible with the secular and private poor-relief of his district, and also with the local authorities, so as to secure regular and uniform action;
(3) The local provision for the poor should be as far as possible confined to the home, promoting per- sonal contact between the helper and the poor; the assistance should be as a rule given in goods, the abuse of gifts of money being guarded against as far as practical;
(4) Ecclesiastical poor-relief embraces all classes of the needy, consideration being shown for feelings of mortification and family pride. The keeping of a Ust of the poor is indispensable;
(5) The means are to be obtained from the income from foundations, from the regular and voluntary con- tributions of the parishioners, and, in case of neces- sity, from extraordinary collections. Sometimes local poor-relief is combined with the charitable organiza- tions of the neighbourhood;
(6) Repressive pro\'ision for the poor concerns it- self in the first place with those able to work, es- pecially with: (a) children, who are placed for train- ing either with relatives, with trustworthy families, or in orphanages. While maintenance in a family is preferable, no general rule can be laid down on this point. A new task is the charitable provision for children, who are uncared for by their parents, and who are morally unprotected (cf. The Prussian Fiirsorgecrziehungsgcsetz of 1897); (b) sick and de- crepit persons, who are a.ssisted either with gifts of goods, food, medicine etc. in their homes, or are placed in poor-houses or hospitals. Repressive provision for the poor is also directed towards persons able to work, who can earn their livelihood and do not do so. If this is the result of obstinate laziness, and an in- clination to begging and vagabondage, the State should confine the offenders in institutions of com- pulsory labour, or engage them on useful works, pay- ing them wages and supporting them. Should, however, it arise from inability to find employment, the State should interfere by inaugurating relief- works, comprehensive organization of information as to labour conditions, fostering private relief meas- ures, workers' colonies etc.
(7) Preventive poor-relief seeks to prevent the fall into poverty. This is never entirely successful, but it may become partially so by the combination of the Church, State, trade organizations, and private charitable agencies along the following lines: (a) by educating the youth to thrift, establishment of school savings banks and especially fostering economy among the working classes; (b) by state and volun- tary insurance against illness; (c) by making the employer responsible for accidents befalling his em- ployees; (d) insurance against old age and incapacita- tion, organized on trades union or State principles; (e) Isy the express inculcation of the mutual obUga*
