In a blog for the Huffington Post, Rev. Thomas W. Worcester, S.J., professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, speculated on what St. Vincent de Paul would advocate for if he were alive today in our present political landscape.
Explaining that Vincent de Paul, who lived from 1581-1660, dedicated his life to improving the lives of others, Fr. Worcester stated that de Paul was “a relentless critic of the arrogance and avarice of the wealthy 1 percent of his time.”
Continuing his comparison of America’s current state of affairs to de Paul’s values, Fr. Worcester remarked that the Catholic saint would “support a major increase in the minimum wage, and he would defend President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act, as at least a step in the right direction toward universal access to health care, however imperfect that Act may be.”
Overall, Fr. Worcester contended that de Paul would champion genuine entitlement reform. “He would be horrified by a nation that equates a person's value with how much money he or she has,” said Worcester.
“A Vincent de Paul today would be relentless in promoting the responsibility and moral obligation of those well off to assist those in need.”
This ‘Holy Cross in the News’ item by David Cotrone ’13.
