From the Parish House

Dilexi Te – I Have Loved You

On the feast of St Francis of Assisi, 4 October, Pope Leo XIV signed his very first Apostolic Exhortation: Dilexi Te – “I have loved you” (Rev 3:90) – which focused on love for the poor. The document was subsequently published on the 9th of October. Pope Leo expressed his desire to continue what his predecessor, Pope Francis, began through a document that would help all Christians on the right path to holiness “in the poor and the suffering one can discover the very face of Jesus. We see revealed the very heart of Christ, his deepest feelings and choices.” (DT 3) in the poor one could find “the teachers of the Gospel” – “Growing up in precarious circumstances, learning to survive in the most adverse conditions, trusting in God with the assurance that no one else takes them seriously, and helping one another in the darkest moments, the poor have learned many things that they keep hidden in their hearts. Those of us who have not had similar experiences of living this way certainly have much to gain from the source of wisdom that is the experience of the poor.” (DT 102)

Throughout human history, God has always been on the side of the poor. He hears their cry, expresses concern for their needs, and comes to their rescue: “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry” (Ex 3:7–8). God loves humanity. God chooses the poor. Through Jesus’ life, we have seen a God who expresses his absolute closeness to the poor – in the humble manger, in a life that accepted maltreatment and oppression, on the cross of suffering, and in his painful death. God’s preference for the poor does not mean exclusivity or discrimination against other groups, but rather a desire to build a kingdom of justice, fraternity, and solidarity. (DT 16)

There are many forms of poverties existing in our world. “The condition of the poor is a cry” (DT 9), but one uttered in different contexts. It is a “multifaceted phenomenon.” (DT 9) Forms of poverty could include: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence; the poverty of those who are socially marginalised and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities; moral and spiritual poverty; cultural poverty; the poverty of those who find themselves in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility; the poverty of those who have no rights, no space, no freedom.” (DT 9)

Furthermore, as the social, cultural, and structural contexts rapidly change, the old forms of poverty are joined by new ones, and sometimes they are more “subtle and dangerous.” Therefore, the commitment to care for the poor needs to be accompanied by a change in mentality and the ability to recognise these new forms. Otherwise, one may fall into the misconception that poverty no longer exists, leading to its denial in the very world we live in. (DT 11)

As God’s blessings, we have seen great development in recognising new forms of poverty and responding to the needs throughout the history of the Church. From the early Church, with its recognition of the need to care for the poor and disadvantaged, the apostles laid hands on certain chosen ministers for the diakonía – the service of the poor. From then on, many early Church Fathers and Saints taught and encouraged their communities to give greater attention to the poor. The Church has continually witnessed the emergence of organisations, lay communities, male and female religious orders, and monasteries established to respond to the various forms of poverty in their own eras: caring for the sick, comforting the suffering, freeing prisoners, accompanying migrants, educating the young, and supporting women and children.

In the Exhortation, we find many extraordinary examples of the great work done in caring for the poor by men and women, lay and religious, young and old. Pope Leo explains that he has chosen to “recall the age-old history of the Church’s care for the poor and with the poor in order to make clear that it has always been a central part of her life.” (DT 103)

Our Holy Father further expresses that: “As the Body of Christ, the Church experiences the lives of the poor as her very ‘flesh,’ for theirs is a privileged place within the pilgrim people of God. Consequently, love for the poor – whatever form their poverty may take – is the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God.” (DT 103)

Through this first Apostolic Exhortation – Dilexi Te – let us be urged by our Holy Father to continue to embrace this path of holiness through “heartfelt gestures of closeness and support” of our brothers and sisters so that they “come to realise that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them and us: ‘I have loved you’ (Rev 3:9)”.

By Fr Sang Ho

Read the full Apostolic Exhortation – Dilexi Te – of the Holy Father Leo XIV.