Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA President John Berry Says Work to Protect the Poor Must Go on After Reconciliation Bill Passage

ST. LOUIS, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In the Gospel reading on July 4, the same day that our nation celebrated its birth, Jesus called Matthew to join the disciples, prompting the Pharisees to ask why he ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'"

This reading was only fitting. Afterall, America was founded as a Christian nation, and while we have sometimes struggled to live up to those ideals, we remain a merciful people that believes with freedom, comes a responsibility to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless and comfort the lonely. At our best, we are a nation of Matthews, sinners who hear the Word and follow Him. That is why it was so disappointing that on this very same day, a bill was signed into law that is anything but merciful.

The budget reconciliation bill is one of the most distressing laws we can remember when it comes to heeding God's call to care for the poor, the sick and the aged. Make no mistake about it. Whatever else this new law does, the changes to SNAP and Medicaid will hurt men, women and children by stripping away food and medical benefits that they rely on to survive. The rich will get richer. The poor will get poorer. Approval of this bill was not just wrong for its direct economic impact on those most in need of our support. It also created a stain that is at odds with our history as a loving and charitable people.

So now, we must go forward. I can assure you that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is not bowed by the votes of our representatives in Congress nor the strokes of the President's pen. Rather, our 90,000 American Vincentians are fortified by the strength and knowledge that we are doing God's will. We do this through our food banks and homeless shelters. We do this through our charitable pharmacies and our programs to aid immigrants. Mostly, we do this through our one-on-one encounters with people, for it is in those encounters that we see the very face of God. We will not stop working for them, and we will not stop advocating for those who have nobody else. We will not fail them.

SOURCE The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA