Pope Francis releases his message for the Fourth World Day of the Poor, observed on 15 November. The Pope calls on people to keep their gaze fixed on the poor, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and warns against succumbing to a “whirlwind of indifference.”

The theme for the Fourth World Day of the Poor is “Stretch forth your hand to the poor,” taken from the book of Sirach. “Generosity that supports the weak, consoles the afflicted, relieves suffering and restores dignity to those stripped of it, is a condition for a fully human life,” Pope Francis says.