Dear Friends,
October 9th, is a memorable day in the life of the Church and her avowed vocation of spreading the love of God to all people as we celebrate the heavenly birthdays of two important saints and renowned Church men in the persons of St. Dennis of France (3rd Century) and St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890). But this year’s October 9th was even more memorable, as there was great joy in our hearts and beautiful smiles on our faces, as we welcomed the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Leo XIV titled, Dilexi Te “I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9). The central message of this timely papal document is the invitation to love the poor and to provide better structures that will encourage enduring welfare and social change through advocacy and economic empowerment. The Holy Father, in the second paragraph of Dilexi Te, gave a biblical locus classicus of the entire document. He said, “This declaration of love, taken from the Book of Revelation, reflects the inexhaustible mystery that Pope Francis reflected upon in the Encyclical Dilexit Nos on the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus Christ. There we see how Jesus identified himself “with the lowest ranks of the society” and how, with his love poured out to the end, he confirms the dignity of every human being, especially when they are weak, scorned or suffering” (Dilexit Nos, 1422).
As a mark of pastoral humility and pontifical continuity, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged that Pope Francis started to write this Apostolic Exhortation in the last months of his life and papacy. The present Pontiff remarked that he was happy to make it his own by adding his own personal reflections and perspectives. This is a striking resemblance to Francis’s own first document, the encyclical Lumen Fidei (The Light of Faith), which completed work begun by Pope Benedict XVI before his resignation. And just as Lumen Fidei celebrated one of the central themes of Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022), namely faith, Dilexi Te celebrates one of the central themes of Pope Francis (1936-2025), namely the love of the poor. It is this care for the poor that indisputably links Pope Leo XIV with his predecessor Pope Francis. Love for the poor was a consistent message for Francis. He once recalled how, upon his election to the papacy, his friend the late Cardinal Claudio Hummes told him “Do not forget the poor” (Dilexi Te, 6). And he never forgot the poor. Francis was a Pope for the poor and can even be considered a poor Pope -“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3).” Also, he called and advocated for “a Church which is poor and for the poor” (DT, 35). With full admiration of Pope Francis’ love for the poor, the present Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, indicated thus, “The desire of my beloved predecessor that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor, I, too, consider it essential to insist on this part to holiness.” (DT, 3). A close consideration and a deep reflection on Dilexi Te, reveals that the thought and the voice of our beloved Argentinian Pope shines through the exhortation from top to bottom. It is noted that Pope Leo XIV made reference to over 50 ideas of his predecessor’s pastoral ingenuity contained in his three original encyclicals: Laudato Si (2015, On Care for our Common Home), Fratelli Tuti (2020, on fraternity and social friendship), and Dilexit Nos (2024, on human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus).
Pope Leo XIV, who is the first Pope from the United States, showed his love for the poor by making reference to his pastoral work in Peru, where he encountered more vulnerable members of the society. He encountered those who lacked food in Chulucanas, worked with those who labored in las fincas de Chiclayo, and advocated for the poor in Trujillo. As a Superior General of the Augustinian Congregation, Pope Leo XIV visited many countries in Africa and encouraged members of his Order to preach social justice and a preferential option for the poor and the marginalized. He intentionally decided not to make references to the rich countries like United States but rather exalted the great work the Church in South and Central America is doing for the poor through the Latin American Bishops’ conference of Medellin (1968), Puebla (1979), Santo Domingo (1992), and Aparecida (2007). These conferences and the documents they produced can be unequivocally considered schools for Liberation Theology, local Catholic Social Thought, Social Justice, and integral recognition of the dignity of the human person.
The Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te is divided into five chapters, in the first chapter, Pope Leo XIV states that love for the Lord Jesus includes love for the poor (DT, 5). He makes three main points in this regard. First, he clarifies that love for the poor should not be merely kindness towards them but rather a revelation for us. When we encounter those who are lonely and powerless, we are encountering God Himself. In the poor, and the little, the least, and the last, God speaks to us and reveals Himself in the poor and the marginalized. Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew 25: 40, says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta told her sisters that Jesus would always disguise Himself in the poor and the needy. St. Vincent de Paul has this beautiful admonition for all: “If you go to the poor, you will find God.” Second, the Holy Father laments the ever-increasing inequalities in our society, even in wealthy countries, where the number of poor people is growing. The passage of Sacred Scripture in which God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush can serve as a constant starting point for this effort to help the poor. There God says, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them…So come, I will send you” (Exodus 3:7-8, 10). In hearing the cry of the poor, we are called to enter into the heart of God, who is always concerned for the needs of His children, especially those in greater need. If we remain unresponsive to that cry, the poor might well cry out to the Lord against us, and we would incur guilt (Deut. 15:9) and turn away from the very heart of God (DT, 8). On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and therefore, the suffering of Christ Himself.
Thirdly, Pope Leo XIV emphasizes the need for a renewal of life and mentality. How do we see the poor? Who are the poor in our world today? What does it mean to live a joyful life even in the midst of poverty and social inequalities? The illusion of happiness derived from a comfortable life pushes many towards a vision of life centered on the accumulation of wealth and social successes at all costs, even at the expense of others and by taking advantage of unjust social ideals and political-economic systems that favor the strongest, which is a great illusion in many countries today.
In the next reflection, we shall continue our thoughtful consideration of the first and second chapters of this beautiful document in the light of faith and human experience (Gaudium et Spes, 46).
Ad majorem Dei gloriam
Rev. Benedict Nwachukwu-Udaku Director of Academic Formation St. Junipero Serra House of Formation Diocese of San Bernardino