Charity and Outreach

Charity and Outreach

Charity and outreach in the Orthodox Church flow directly from the theology of the Incarnation and the conviction that serving the poor is serving Christ Himself. As Christ teaches, "whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me." Charity is not viewed as optional social activism or mere kindness, but as an essential expression of the Christian faith.

Almsgiving stands alongside prayer and fasting as one of the three pillars of spiritual life. The Divine Liturgy constantly reinforces this connection, reminding the faithful that love of God cannot be separated from love of neighbor. The pursuit of theosis, union with God, is incompatible with indifference toward those who suffer.

The Church Fathers spoke forcefully on this point. taught that the altar within the church and the poor person in the street are both sacred. To honor one while neglecting the other, he insisted, renders worship empty and false.

Historically, wherever Orthodoxy spread, churches established hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, and hostels. Monasteries in particular became centers of charity, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and sheltering travelers, refugees, and the destitute.

A key Orthodox virtue underlying this practice is philoxenia, the love of the stranger. Every person in need is received as potentially Christ Himself, coming in disguise and offering an opportunity for repentance and love.

In Orthodox societies, the Church often functioned as the primary social safety net before the rise of modern welfare systems. Saints such as established large charitable complexes, most famously the Basiliad, which included hospitals, homes for the poor, and workshops where people could learn trades. These institutions functioned as early comprehensive social services grounded in the Church’s life and prayer.