A perennial social crisis affecting many other issues, Pope Francis has called for a poor church for the poor. What does poverty in America look like in 2020? And will the political parties finally tackle the issue plaguing tens of millions of Americans?

The chairman of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, has said that companies are using the excuse of the pandemic to take advantage of their workers.

The “common thread” among the celebrations, especially in 2020, the cardinal said, “is our common home in which the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one cry.”

Many parishes lack resources, having not received money in the collection basket because of suspended services.

The preferential option for the poor, which includes feeding the hungry and drawing close to the excluded, “is the key criterion of Christian authenticity,” Pope Francis said Aug. 19 during his weekly general audience.

George M. Anderson, S.J., who died on Aug. 4 at age 86, was for many years the conscience of America magazine, especially in his focus on and commitment to the poor.