--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and…" description: "\"Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.\" — Pope Francis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png" --- # Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor. ![“Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.” quote by Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png) > “Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.” [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He wishes for a humble, poor church that serves the needy. **In simple terms:** Wants a modest church for the poor. Key Takeaway Support the marginalized. Themes religion poverty humility service Mood compassionate hopeful Type religious inspirational When to use this quote - charity work - church reform - social programs Key Concepts theology social justice community outreach Questions to Reflect On - How can churches become poorer yet more effective? - What obstacles exist? A Different Perspective Practical implementation is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-poor-995760/) [Like Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-poor-903102/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-church-827603/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) ## Related quotes > [... our reality teaches us that, as Christians, we must create a Church of the poor, that we don't need a Church imposed from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/our-reality-teaches-us-that-as-christians-we-must-create-a-church-of/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [The Church of the Apostles was a Church of the poor; of silver and gold it had none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-parry-liddon/the-church-of-the-apostles-was-a-church-of-the-poor-of-silver-and/) [Henry Parry Liddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-parry-liddon/) > [I felt that the Church was the Church of the poor,... but at the same time, I felt that it did not set its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-felt-that-the-church-was-the-church-of-the-poor-but-at-the-same/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Nightclubs are the equivalent of a Catholic Church in a poor country. You hear a lot of stuff about churches filled with gold while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-hijuelos/nightclubs-are-the-equivalent-of-a-catholic-church-in-a-poor-country/) [Oscar Hijuelos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-hijuelos/) > [Poor is the church without music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/poor-is-the-church-without-music/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Christians should emphatically be campaigning for justice for the poor - but the Church is not a campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/christians-should-emphatically-be-campaigning-for-justice-for-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [But it's a poor church that cares only for what happens to a soul after it leaves this life." -Damien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brennert/but-it-s-a-poor-church-that-cares-only-for-what-happens-to-a-soul/) [Alan Brennert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-brennert/) > [If we all gave all our goods to the poor, the church would fall apart. If we all hated our father and mother, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/if-we-all-gave-all-our-goods-to-the-poor-the-church-would-fall-apart/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [I'm as poor as a church mouse, that's just had an enormous tax bill on the very day his wife ran off with another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/i-m-as-poor-as-a-church-mouse-that-s-just-had-an-enormous-tax-bill-on/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [It's not the job of government to help the poor. The church is the mechanism that God put on earth to help the poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/it-s-not-the-job-of-government-to-help-the-poor-the-church-is-the/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [“On the other hand, even if you’re as poor as a church mouse, isn’t it nice to be able to pay, to chuck some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rowland-smith/on-the-other-hand-even-if-you-re-as-poor-as-a-church-mouse-isn-t-it/) [Robert Rowland Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rowland-smith/) > [Look for a church that might ask that you become poor. A church that is more concerned with showing love to those in need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripp-york/look-for-a-church-that-might-ask-that-you-become-poor-a-church-that/) [Tripp York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripp-york/) > [All I know is, if I don't care about the poor, if my church doesn't care about the poor, that's evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/all-i-know-is-if-i-don-t-care-about-the-poor-if-my-church-doesn-t/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The prime duty of help to the poor by the Church is not to bring temporal relief to their needs, but salvation to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-g-romney/the-prime-duty-of-help-to-the-poor-by-the-church-is-not-to-bring/) [Marion G. Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-g-romney/) > [Let us pray that the Church be holier and more humble, loving God by serving the poor, the lonely and the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/let-us-pray-that-the-church-be-holier-and-more-humble-loving-god-by/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More by Pope Francis > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [God’s faithfulness is stronger than our unfaithfulness and our infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-s-faithfulness-is-stronger-than-our-unfaithfulness-and-our/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Most people nowadays would not consider love as related in any way to truth. Love is seen as an experience associated with the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/most-people-nowadays-would-not-consider-love-as-related-in-any-way-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Listen to Jesus and follow him. 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Please join me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-pray-every-day-for-all-who-are-suffering-in-iraq-please-join-me/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I entrust this Twenty-second World Day of the Sick to the intercession of Mary. I ask her to help the sick to bear their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-entrust-this-twenty-second-world-day-of-the-sick-to-the/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Certain realities in life are only seen through eyes that are cleansed through our tears. Let us learn how to weep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/certain-realities-in-life-are-only-seen-through-eyes-that-are/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) [Explore all 1,479 Pope Francis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. 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It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. Art inherited from the old religion the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/the-religion-of-art-like-the-religion-of-politics-was-born-from-the/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [The minute you walk outside of your church on Sunday you're in mission territory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/the-minute-you-walk-outside-of-your-church-on-sunday-you-re-in/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) [Browse all 9,430 Church quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pope Francis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-for-the-poor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Church" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-for-the-poor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/pope-francis-85_church_oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-fo_3044162.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.” — Pope Francis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pope Francis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Oh, how I would like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-for-the-poor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/oh-how-i-would-like-a-poor-church-and-for-the-poor/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```