The Tertio Millennio Institute held on February 21 its second debate on social issues. This time at the Dominican Fathers the charity and solidarity were discussed.

In the first part of the meeting the speech on Benedict’s XVI encyclical on Christian mercy “Deus caritas est” has been delivered, followed by the presentation of results of a research on the charity in Poland, which is one of basic tasks of the Church. It is aimed at helping those who suffer and “feeding those who feel hunger, clothing the naked and curing the sick”. Although the seculars should try to establish the justice social system, it is clear that the utopian system will never be reached, thus the mercy will be always in a deficit.

The Christian charity differs from the secular one due to its spiritual aspect, so it cannot be totally replaced by the public aid. It shapes the framework of induvidual initiatives, which co-exist with the official ones. The people who devote themselves to the others ought to have not only the professional skills, but also proper mental qualities, in order to enrich the human aspect of those in need. The independence from all sorts of ideologies, humility, respect and spiritual strength must be their specifics, useful to avoid high ambitions as well as pesimism or disappointment from passible lack of sufficient results.

The debate was summed up it the open debate on low level of charity among the Poles and their involvement in helping the others: in 2006 onlt 31% of Polish citizens gave money for any NGO or religious movement, half of which devoted less than 50 zl). Some of the explications include the heritage of communism, the state engagement, lack of bottom-top initiative and the fact that the Poles help each other within families, and not by means of external organisations.