Catholic charitable activity

The Catholic church has had a long tradition of co-ordinating charity to the poor, something that was closely linked to the early Christian eucharist, with the office of deacon being started for this purpose.

Over time this became a part of the bishop's responsibilities and then from the fourth century onwards was decentralised to parishes and monastic orders. After the reformation the church lost a large amount of property in both Catholic and Protestant countries, and after a period of sharply increased poverty poor relief had to become more tax based.

There are now a number of organisations, such as Catholic Charities in the United States, that are specifically dedicated towards rendering aid to the poor and needy.