The consumer society makes the gap separating rich from poor even more obvious, and the uncontrolled search for a comfortable life risks blinding people to the needs of others. In order to promote the social, cultural, spiritual and also economic welfare of all members of society, it is therefore absolutely essential to stem the unrestrained consumption of earthly goods and to control the creation of artificial needs. Moderation and simplicity ought to become the criteria of our daily lives. The quantity of goods consumed by a tiny fraction of the world population produces a demand greater than available resources. A reduction of this demand constitutes a first step in alleviating poverty, provided that it is accompanied by effective measures to guarantee a fair distribution of the world's wealth.
Evangelical poverty is very different from socio-economic poverty.
Such evangelical poverty is the source of peace, since through it the individual can establish a proper relationship with God, with others and with creation. Evangelical poverty is something that transforms those who accept it. Those who are poor in the Gospel sense are ready to sacrifice their resources and their own selves so that others may live. The divine Master has taught us by his life and words the demanding features of this poverty which leads us to true freedom. Christ's example, no less than his words, is normative for Christians.