Pope Francis has spoken out against what he called a global "cult of money," including the free market system, and urged the world's leaders to come together and adopt ethics to help the poor.

"While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good. A new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules," Francis told foreign diplomats at the Vatican in a speech focused on the economic crisis.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church also criticized the "heartless cult of money" that many around the world have embraced, and compared it to the worship of the golden calf a found in Exodus 32:15-34. more >>

For 40 years Jesus House, a nondenominational Christian outreach organization, has been transforming the lives of those battling addiction, suffering from mental illness, or facing the perils of homelessness and poverty. More than a shelter, Jesus House is a hub of community support that transforms the lives of their residents, as well as the tens of thousands of people who depend on the work of Jesus House volunteers who seek out the needs of the community.

Early in the morning, before the sun peeks over the horizon, Jesus House volunteers in Oklahoma City, Okla., are fast at work preparing 100,000 meals a year to feed the homeless. Many provide aid to homebound senior citizens by repairing pipes, mowing lawns, building fences, and providing grocery baskets and bottled water, along with prayers for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Rick Denny, who's been the director of Jesus House since 2011, is often invited to churches across the state of Oklahoma to speak about the impactful work the organization's staff and volunteers are doing to improve the lives of those who are living at the shelter, as well as the services they provide in their community. But one thing he has always wanted to bring along with him to churches and civic organizations is a house choir. more >>

Alumni of a small, private Catholic liberal arts college located in Atchison, Kansas, protested on Saturday while Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) delivered the commencement address at the university.

The group of alumni, which also signed a petition urging the college to rescind Ryan's invitation to speak, argued that Ryan's budget proposal, which seeks to lower the national deficit by cutting entitlement programs, is against the Catholic values of helping the poor.

"Ryan's budget will seriously reduce the significant and necessary role played by the government in the lives of Americans in need," the petition, which was addressed to the college's president, Stephen Minnis, and signed by 365 supporters on change.org, stated. more >>

An apparent homeless man in Austin, Texas, has recently garnered the attention of the Internet community for conducting what appears to be a social experiment to determine "which religion cares the most about the homeless."

A photo, which has gone viral on the sharing websites Reddit and Imgur, shows what appears to be a homeless man, who has been identified by one Reddit user as James of Austin sitting cross-legged in front of a store and holding a cardboard sign which reads "which religion cares the most about the homeless."

Those who have reportedly met the man claim that he said both atheists and Christians have donated the most money. more >>

Eugene Cho, lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle and co-founder of international anti-poverty movement One Day's Wages, takes his message of generosity and justice to Willow Creek Community Church's Celebration of Hope 2013 this weekend. Pastor Cho shared with The Christian Post his message for the Illinois megachurch, his hopes for ODW and why he believes Christians are compelled by their faith to practice both righteousness and justice.

Cho and his wife, Minhee, and their children founded One Day's Wages over three years ago after the Washington pastor came back convicted from witnessing the challenges faced by impoverished communities in Burma. They felt a need to act and sought God for guidance. The response Cho and his family received, however, was not at all what they were expecting. But they obeyed, took up the challenge and sacrificed a year of their family income to launch a movement that has since inspired people and organizations all over the world to join the fight to eradicate extreme global poverty. One Day's Wages and its partners have managed to award grants that are helping to provide necessities like electricity to the maternity ward at a South Sudan hospital, HIV treatment for children in Togo and nutritional support and education for malnourished children and expectant mothers living in rural Guatemala.

Pastor Cho told CP that he hopes his message inspires two things this weekend among those who gather to hear him and others speak at Willow Creek Community Church. more >>

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has decided to send $3.1 million to several projects connected to the Church in Latin America.

According to Catholic World News, the USCCB's Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America has granted the money to 132 different projects based in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, M.Sp.S, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the USCCB Subcommittee, said in a statement that the projects focused on helping the less fortunate. more >>