The Aparecida bishops look to “Suffering Faces That Pain Us” in paragraphs 407 through 430. In turn, they will address pastoral challenges with the homeless, migrants, the sick, addicts, and those in prison.
8.6.1 Street people in large cities
407. In large cities a growing number of people are living on the street. They require special care, attention, and development work on the part of the Church, so that while they are provided the help that they need in order to live, they are also included in participatory development projects in which they themselves become active agents in moving back into society.
408. We want to urge local and national governments to design policies to encourage care for these human beings, while dealing with the causes of this scourge which affects millions of our people in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Homelessness is a complex issue. It requires that lay people discern many issues, often some that will be in conflict. The USCCB has a number of documents on this issue if you readers would like a sample of the approach in the United States. In other countries, particulars may differ. But integration into the working of society is always important.
For deeper examination, an English translation of the 2007 document from the Aparecida Conference.
