A Catholic Understanding Of Stewardship and Philanthropy

By: Jude M. Werner, M.T.S, M.A.
Development Director, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish
University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Introduction

The Catholic Church has been described as the “largest charitable organization on the planet.” (1)  But what really is Catholic about philanthropy?  Is there any difference between so-called “Catholic” philanthropy and other secular philanthropic organizations?  Isn’t “stewardship” simply another program designed to increase Sunday collections?  These and other questions are pertinent to understanding the philosophical and theological roots of Catholic stewardship and philanthropy.  Further, an effort to relate secular philanthropic organizations with their Catholic counterpart begins with considering the fundamental paradigms, motivations and worldviews of each.

A holistic perspective of Catholic charitable giving must be viewed from two differing, albeit complimentary, perspectives of the faithful: the internal motivations and the external beneficiaries.  The Catholic philosophical and theological premises of stewardship begin with viewing every aspect of life, and life itself, as a gift from our Heavenly Father, which are to be appreciated and cultivated by the faithful.  Motivated by the Christian virtues of justice and charity, the focus of stewardship is principally between an individual’s conscience and God.  The fruits of authentic stewardship are a joy-filled life of gratitude, charity, and holiness.  When practiced collectively by the Christian community, stewardship is manifested and facilitated through organized structures of Catholic philanthropy.  Catholic philanthropy builds upon the virtue-based motivations of justice and charity, but with an external, beneficiary-focused perspective, seeking to rectify the “structural forms of poverty” described by Pope John Paul II. (2) 

Stewardship is Internal

During Medieval times, a steward was one who was charged as the caretaker of the Lord’s estate, on his behalf. (3)  When applied to a Catholic world-view, the principle of stewardship describes the belief that everything that exists is a gift, given by our Eternal Lord, and which His faithful are called to administer.  These gifts are numerous and diverse, including life itself, the created world, and its material resources, as well as the gifts of talents, faith, and grace, even suffering.  As Saint Thérèse de Lisieux describes, “Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our father’s love — difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs — everything.” (4)  Thus, Catholics are charged with the duty, the moral responsibility, to be caretakers of these gifts, ultimately returning them to God for His glorification and the building up of His Kingdom. 

Although it would be a mistake to think that stewardship by itself includes the whole of Christian life, in probing the Christian meaning of stewardship one confronts an astonishing fact: God wishes human beings to be his collaborators in the work of creation, redemption, and sanctification; and such collaboration involves stewardship in the most profound sense. (5) 

In this way, the Catholic understanding that individuals are each called to steward God’s gifts, explains the Church’s emphasis on protecting the dignity of human life, sharing the Gospel message, teaching the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith, and serving the needs of others in justice and mercy.(6)  Once embraced, the Catholic commitment to stewardship is not lived through “a single action, nor even in a number of actions over a period of time, but in an entire way of life.” (7)  Rather, the faithful earnestly seek to honor God and serve others through the cultivation and use of their individual gifts and talents.

No less is expected from Catholics when the principle of stewardship is applied in the narrowest scope of financial resources.  The Catholic world-view emphasizes the need for individuals to return to God, in gratitude, some portion of what He has generously provided them.  The spiritual applications of financial stewardship are of fostering gratitude and shifting one’s dependency away from self and toward God the Provider.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.” (8) 

Thus, the significance of a charitable gift is found in the donor’s disposition and has comparatively less to do with the beneficiary.  Stated another way, the significance of one’s gift is measured by the individual’s fidelity to their own conscience and their spirit of gratitude, not the material value of the gift,(9)  as we see in Jesus’ parable of the widow’s mite. This understanding differs from a social philanthropic perspective of charitable giving, because it is “shifting the focus from ‘giving to need’ to ‘needing to give.” (10) 

Stewardship is Virtuous - Habitual

Stewardship, when understood as a generous and accountable sharing of one’s gifts in Christian discipleship, must be applied to all aspects of life,(11)  far beyond financial transactions.  Stewardship becomes the modus operandi, a manner of operating in habitual appreciation for everything given to us from our Heavenly Father.  From a Catholic-Christian perspective, the internal movement toward such action is prompted by the virtues of justice and charity.  Virtue, “a good, habitual action of the will,” is acted upon promptly and with a certain sense of pleasure. (12)  Sacred Scripture echoes this call to virtuous action when St. Paul reminds Christians not to act “reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (13)  Why is habitual, virtuous stewardship so essential in the Christian life? The formation of virtue strengthens our inclination toward the good and “reverses the inclination toward evil.” (14)  Thus, motivated by virtue, the habitual attitude and actions of stewardship propel an individual toward holiness. 

Stewardship is Rooted in the Virtue of Justice

“Everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required.” (15)  Although each human person is created in the image and likeness of God, equal in dignity and value, the world in which they live lacks an equality of opportunity or resources.  Therefore, a Catholic understanding of stewardship compels the faithful individual, recognizing the richness of blessings bestowed upon him or her, to act in justice toward others.  Justice, the virtue of giving to others what they rightly deserve, places demands upon the Catholic conscience that are not optional, but rather a moral duty. (16)  In this way, justice is manifested as an attitude of wanting to serve those deprived of life, dignity, and necessities. 

St. John Chrysostom went so far as to chastise those who refuse to aid the poor as thieves: ‘Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life.  The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs.”  (17)

Ideologies known as “social philanthropy,” “social justice philanthropy,” or even “global social change philanthropy” appear to be a secular equivalent to the Catholic understanding of justice and stewardship, yet most fall short.  The Church teaches that in order to have authentic social justice, it must begin with virtuous individuals and not merely good programs.  Undoubtedly, many social philanthropy programs have admirable goals, yet they are too often values-based ideologies.  Many fail the litmus test of possessing the virtue of justice, neglecting the most fundamental right of all human persons, the right to life.  Thus, while some social philanthropy organizations may consider themselves to be acting in justice for the good of others, the Church teaches that any organization that fails to recognize the universal gift of life is irreconcilable with the principle of stewardship or the virtue of justice. (18)

The Church maintains that, in order to have social justice, we must first have virtuous people.  The secular world maintains that social justice does not require virtuous people, only good programs.  For the Church, social justice is a personal virtue; for the secular world, it is a political accomplishment.  The Church believes that good people make good social programs; the secular world believes that good social programs make good people.  Concerning social justice, the Church and the secular world have very little in common. (19)

Stewardship is Rooted in the Virtue of Charity

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (20)  All Christians are commanded by Christ to love one another, even their enemies, and because the words love and charity are synonymous, all Christian are likewise obliged to act in charity toward others. (21)  When applied to the Catholic understanding of stewardship, the virtue of charity reflects the disposition with which the demands of justice are fulfilled.  Simply fulfilling an act to appease one’s conscience is insufficient.  St. Paul pronounces that the most monumental of task, if not done in charity, is of no gain, a mere “noisy gong.” (22)  Thus, the models of Christian stewardship lived in justice and overflowing in charity, are the saints, declared by the Church to have lived a life of heroic virtue and having exemplified Christ’s command to love one another.

The lives of the saints illustrate that although the world is filled with innumerable injustices and the presence of evil, the philosophy of Christian stewardship can shine the light of Christ on and rectify much of what is wrong in the world.  Inspired by the saints, Catholic stewards are called to live this truth each day “in our family, social life, business dealings, and civic activities.” (23)  A life of stewardship, lived in true justice and abundant charity, is overflowing with joy and begets further acts of kindness.  “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully … God loves a cheerful giver.” (24)

Stewardship Serves the Greater Community

Catholic stewards, over-flowing with charity and joy, desire to share their blessings, material and otherwise, not simply because God has called them to do so, but “because we do not want to hoard, waste or squander.” (25) Joyful giving can be inspiring when modeled individually, but truly transformative when practiced by the entire community.  Such stewardship was commonplace within the early Church, where the faithful practiced the communal holding of property for the benefit of the entire Christian community. (26)  Living in a spirit of “one heart,” the results were astonishing; “there was not a needy person among them.”  (27)

While numerous social philanthropy programs admirably seek to end poverty today, even the wealthiest of benefactors have thus far failed to do so.  However, the early Christian community of stewardship and charity accomplished what modern global NGOs cannot.  Thus, the Catholic Church, while tirelessly seeking to serve the world’s impoverished on a scale unmatched by any other organization, continuously begins by recognizing the dignity of the individual human person they are serving and loves them. The principle that true Christian stewardship begins with an authentic gratitude for the immeasurable blessings that God has bestowed upon us, is informed by the virtues of justice and charity, and when lived abundantly, will not only lead to growth in personal holiness, but “contribute to the abundance that will benefit all.”  (28)

Catholic Philanthropy is External

The Catholic Church views humanity not as an over-population problem to be addressed, as do some social philanthropic organizations, but as invaluable, individual members of a body.  The well-being of its members is “the personal responsibly of each one of us” and carries a duty to foster individual gifts for the betterment of the community. (29)  Concretely, most Christians are called to serve the Church within their own specific apostolates of family and work, within a particular place, and are unable to directly assist their brothers and sisters throughout the world.  Thus, Catholic philanthropy, as an external mechanism to fulfill the internal demands of Christian stewardship, provides an institutionalized opportunity to reach beyond their daily sphere of influence.  The Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion members worldwide collectively help to serve the world’s impoverished through the financial support of parish-based, diocesan, national and international programs. (30) 

In this way, Catholic philanthropy begins with the personal virtues of countless Christian stewards throughout the world, collectively seeking to honor God through the use of their individual talents and blessings, while serving the needs of their brothers and sisters.  The result is a global network of charitable work being accomplished with the love of Christ.  Secular social justice philanthropies may seek to address similar global concerns.  They may even utilize comparable organizational structures and mechanisms to manage day-to-day operations as their Catholic counterparts, but nevertheless, values-based social organizations and Catholic philanthropy are fundamentally different. 

Philanthropy is an active effort to promote human welfare. Simply put, it is caring for others by sharing our resources. As Catholic faithful, we believe that our assets are gifts from a loving God. A clear gospel message is to share our gifts with others. We are called to give financial support to our seminaries, parishes, schools and other ministries devoted to spreading God’s reign on earth. (31)

The collective impact of Catholic philanthropy is particularly evident within the United States, where Catholics continue to grow both in numbers and affluence.  According to Dr. Francis J. Butler, FADICA’s President (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, Inc.), Americans account for a significant portion of the global Catholic philanthropic giving.  The 19,000 individual Catholic parishes in the U.S. contribute $6 billion annually in local church support and international Catholic humanitarian aid.  When secular charities are included, American Catholics contribute over $22 billion annually.  Generations of Catholic philanthropic support have enabled the establishment of 556 hospitals, 236 colleges and universities, 1,350 high school, 6,500 grade schools and 3,000 social service agencies, collectively a $100 billion per year economy. (32)

Conclusion

Catholic stewardship begins with an internal conviction, a moment of grace, which builds upon personal virtue and propels the totality of an individual’s life to be lived in gratitude and service.  Justice and charity are manifested in ceaseless acts of kindness, personal stewardship, and are united to form Catholic philanthropic organizations.  Collectively, a multitude of Catholic stewards lovingly serve the world’s impoverished through the Church’s global network of philanthropic organizations.  Though externally similar in appearance to social philanthropic organizations, Catholic philanthropies are rooted in a tradition of faith and virtue and are dissimilar to most other secular organizations.  Serving various people, places, and needs the stewards of Catholic philanthropies are striving to faithfully live the command of Christ to “love one another, just as I have loved you.”  (33)

Bibliography

– Bibliography of Thérèse de Lisieux. St. Theresa Catholic Church, Belleview, Florida. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.sttheresacatholicchurch.org-/parish_patron_saint.html.
– Cross, F.L. and Livingstone, E.A. The Oxford dictionary of the Christian Church. New York City, NY: The Oxford University Press. 1997
– DeMarco, D. The many faces of virtue. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing. 2000.
– “Epic.” Catholic Come Home. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from http://www.catholics-comehome.org/epic/epic120.phtml.
– FADICA. U.S. Catholic Philanthropy Plays Prominent Role in Church Worldwide.: April 15, 2008. Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.fadica.org/us-catholic-philanthropy-plays-prominent-role-in-church-worldwide.html.
– Gray, T. and Martin, C. Boys to men: The transforming power of virtue. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing. 2001
– Smith, C. Catholic stewardship: Sharing God’s gifts. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. 2001.
– The Catholic Foundation for the Roman Catholic Church in Northern Colorado. What is Catholic philanthropy? Retrieved on November 18, 2009 from http://www.the-catholic-foundation.com/catholic-philanthropy.
– United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Stewardship: A disciple’s response. Washington, D.C.:USCCB Publishing 2007

Endnotes

1. “Epic.” CatholicComeHome.Org., 2009.
2. 1990 World Day of Peace address; USCCB, 2002, p. 26.
3. Cross and Livingstone, 1997, p. 1543.
4. http://www.sttheresacatholicchurch.org/parish_patron_saint.html
5. USCCB, 2002, p. 25.
6. Ibid, p. 32.
7. Ibid, Introduction.
8. Mt. 6:25, 34; Smith, 2001, p. 56.
9. Gaudium et Specs, no. 16; Ibid. p.20.
10. Ibid. p. 39.
11. USCCB, 2002, Introduction.
12. Gray and Martin, 2001, p. 14.
13. 2 Cor. 9:7; Smith, 2001, p. 36.
14. Gray and Martin, 2001, p. 12.
15. Lk. 12:48; Smith, 2001, p. 27.
16. USCCB, 2002, Introduction.
17. Smith, 2001, p. 39.
18. DeMarco, 2000, p. 149-150.
19. Ibid, p. 150.
20. Jn. 15:12.
21. Smith, 2001, p. 66.
22. 1 Cor. 13:1-4.
23. Smith, 2001, p. 31.
24. 2 Cor. 9:6-7.
25. Smith, 2001, p. 35.
26. Cross and Livingstone, 1997, p. 1543.
27. Acts 4:32, 34; Smith, 2001, p. 50.
28. Ibid. p. 20.
29. USCCB, 2002, p. 31.
30. Smith, 2001, p. 47.
31. The Catholic Foundation for the Roman Catholic Church in Northern Colorado. What is Catholic Philanthropy? 2009.
32. FADICA. U.S. Catholic Philanthropy Plays Prominent Role in Church Worldwide, 2008.
33. Jn. 15:12.