The Catholic Church - Builder of Civilization, Episode 8: Catholic Charity

Summary

In 'The Catholic Church: Builder of Civilization,' Thomas Woods explores the profound impact of Catholic charity, emphasizing its quality and quantity. He contrasts the selfless, God-pleasing nature of Catholic charity with the self-interested giving of the ancient world. Woods cites even critics like Voltaire and Julian the Apostate, who acknowledged the Church's unparalleled charitable works, and discusses how this spirit of charity originates from Christ's teachings and the Early Church's practices, influencing converts and shaping Western morality.

Takeaways

• 🏛 The Catholic Church's charitable work is historically extensive and profound, even surprising its critics.
• 🤝 Catholic charity is distinguished by its quality and spirit, emphasizing love for God and fellow humans without expecting reciprocity.
• 👐 The Church teaches that charity should be given even to enemies, contrasting sharply with ancient world views where self-interest dominated.
• 🌍 The Church was the first to institutionalize care for the sick, widows, orphans, and the poor, significantly outperforming ancient world generosity.
• 📜 19th-century historian W. E. H. Lecky, despite being anti-Catholic, acknowledged the Church's unparalleled charitable work.
• 📚 Early Church history shows that charity was integrated into religious practices, such as including the poor in the Mass offerings.
• 🕊️ The spirit of Catholic charity originates from Christ's teachings and was exemplified by actions of Early Church Fathers like St. Augustine and St. Cyprian.
• 🤔 Even anti-Catholic figures like Voltaire, Julian the Apostate, and Martin Luther admitted the impressive charitable nature of the Church.
• 💡 The Church encourages three levels of sanctity in charity: fear of punishment, seeking Heaven, and doing good solely to please God.
• ❤️ The selflessness of organizations like Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity challenges the notion that Catholic charity is merely self-interested.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented by Thomas Woods about Catholic charity?

Thomas Woods argues that Catholic charity has been historically greater in both quality and quantity than what is commonly realized, and that it has been a significant factor in building civilization.

How does the spirit of Catholic charity differ from that of the ancient world?

Catholic charity is motivated by love for God and fellow man, not by the expectation of reward or recognition. This contrasts with the ancient world where giving was often self-interested.

What is the role of charity in the teachings of the Catholic Church?

Charity in the Catholic Church is considered an integral part of Christian life, with teachings emphasizing helping others out of love for God and respect for human beings made in His image.

Why does the Catholic Church encourage helping one's enemies?

The Catholic Church encourages helping one's enemies based on the teachings of Christ and St. Paul, promoting a level of charity that transcends typical human inclinations for retaliation.

How does the charity of the Catholic Church compare to Stoicism?

While Stoicism also advocated for doing good without expectation of reciprocity, it did so from an emotionless sense of duty, unlike the Catholic Church, which emphasizes charity out of love and compassion.

What examples does Thomas Woods give of the Catholic Church's charitable actions in history?

Thomas Woods cites the establishment of hospices, ransoming of slaves, and organized relief efforts during plagues and famines as examples of the Catholic Church's charitable actions throughout history.

How did the charity of early Christians impact non-believers like Peconius?

The indiscriminate charity of early Christians, especially during times of crisis, amazed non-believers like Peconius and led them to investigate and eventually convert to the Christian faith.

What did Thomas Woods say about the reactions of anti-Catholic figures to Catholic charity?

Thomas Woods points out that even famous anti-Catholic figures like Voltaire and Julian the Apostate admitted the extraordinary nature of Catholic charity and had difficulty explaining it without resorting to supernatural explanations.

How did Martin Luther view the charity of the Catholic Church?

Martin Luther acknowledged the effectiveness of Catholic charity, noting that under Catholicism, people were spontaneously charitable, unlike in his own time where good works seemed to dry up.

What is the highest level of sanctity according to the Catholic Church when it comes to doing good?

The highest level of sanctity in doing good, according to the Catholic Church, is performing good works solely out of love for God and the desire to please Him, without any expectation of reward.

How does Thomas Woods respond to the criticism that Catholic charity might be self-interested?

Thomas Woods responds by explaining that the Catholic Church encourages different levels of sanctity in charity, with the highest level being charity done purely to please God, not for any reward.