The roots of the preferential option for the poor in Catholic schools in Luke's Gospel

Abstract

This article argues that although the preferential option for the poor is associated with Catholic schools there is an insufficient depth in the knowledge and understanding of this concept and the implications for the aims and operation of Catholic schools. The article provides a concise overview of the care for the poor in the Vatican documents on Catholic education and a detailed analysis of Consecrated Persons and their Mission in Schools: Reflections and Guidelines (2002). This document highlights the poverty of Jesus and the mission of Jesus to the poor and the importance of the preferential option for the poor in Catholic schools. This document makes very little reference to scripture in the discussion of these themes and, consequently, this article explores the scriptural basis of the poverty of Jesus and the preferential option for the poor, drawing primarily from the gospel of Luke where the mission of Jesus for the poor and the excluded are major themes. The article concludes that the preferential option for the poor is an essential component of Christian discipleship and a fundamental tenet of Catholic schooling, though this is not always borne out in aims or practice.