Religious leaders decry rhetoric against poor people
Charging that “there is too much finger pointing and not enough joining hands,” New York City’s two most prominent Catholic Church leaders decried what they termed is political rhetoric against the poor.
In a move timed to coincide with the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, the celebration in tribute to the patron saint of charity, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Timothy Cardinal Dolan, leader of the Archdiocese of New York, issued a joint statement on Sept. 27 in which they came out against any cuts in government aid to the underprivileged and called for a more civil discourse in the political arena.
“Government programs provide enormous support to poor Americans. In addition generous Americans contribute billions to charities each year. And so there is much to be grateful for,” the joint statement reads.