Although the Jubilee year is drawing to a close, the Catholic Church's concern for those living in poverty will not stop in December. To continue drawing attention to poverty issues, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has designated January 2001 as Poverty in America Awareness Month. Because that period coincides with Catholic Schools Week, schools will have an increased opportunity to teach about poverty and to take positive actions to help the poor. The Campaign suggests that schools use January 29, the day devoted to Celebrating the Community, to stress to students that the poor are deserving of their help and concern. Focusing on poverty is not an easy thing to do today.
Political leaders vie to take credit for the longest economic boom in history.
Even recent adjustments in the stock market have failed to dampen the enthusiasm of those who insist that another market high is inevitable. No one denies that America is prosperous. During the past 25 years the United States has seen the longest and largest continuous economic growth in its history. In 1975, with 5.2 percent of the world's population, the United States produced approximately 12 percent of the world's income and enjoyed about one-quarter of the globe's collected wealth. Now, with only 4.1 percent of the world's population, the United States boasts 29 percent of the world's income and one-third of the world's wealth.