Into this wild and wonderful world, filled with choices big and small, Pope Leo XIV offers his first Apostolic Exhortation, “Dilexi te”— I have loved you. In a profound call to uphold, care for, and prioritize the needs of those who are poor, Pope Leo “confirms the dignity of every human being, especially when they are weak, scorned, or suffering.” Unpacking Scripture, Church teaching, and the witness of the saints, and building on the work of Pope Francis, he directs us: “Love for the Lord, is one with love for the poor… This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us.”
Pope Leo places our response to poverty in the center of our individual and collective lives. He states: “The condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.” In a small way, we can resonate with this challenge at The Basilica: How do we respond as we arrive for Mass on Sunday and encounter a huddled body sitting on the curb, covered with a blanket? One of the realities of The Basilica community is the proximity of our brothers and sisters who are unhoused. How do we respond, as we come face-to-face with this reality?
“Dilexi te” challenges us to look within our own lives to see how we effectively respond to the poverty of our brothers and sisters, and to examine how we embrace our own poverty.
“There are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those who lack material means of subsistence, the poverty of those who are socially marginalized 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.”
We are invited to go deep and to think systemically. He advises, “a concrete commitment to the poor must also be accompanied by a change in mentality that can have an impact at the cultural level. In fact, the illusion of happiness derived from a comfortable life pushes many people towards a vision of life centered on the accumulation of wealth and social success 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. Thus, in a world where the poor are increasingly numerous, we paradoxically see the growth of a wealthy elite, living in a bubble of comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people. This means that a culture still persists — sometimes well disguised — that discards others without even realizing it and tolerates with indifference that millions of people die of hunger or survive in conditions unfit for human beings.“ This systemic injustice is also alive in issues of migration, homelessness, denial of social and labor rights, incarceration, income inequality, creation justice, and racism.
Pope Leo reminds us, “While it is true that the rich care for the poor, the opposite is no less true… Lives can actually be turned around by the realization that the poor have much to teach us about the Gospel and its demands. By their silent witness, they make us confront the precariousness of our existence. The elderly, for example, by their physical frailty, remind us of our own fragility, even as we attempt to conceal it behind our apparent prosperity and outward appearance. The poor, too, remind us how baseless is the attitude of aggressive arrogance with which we frequently confront life’s difficulties. They remind us how uncertain and empty our seemingly safe and secure lives may be.”
“Dilexi te” has direct and important relevance for our lives and society today. It is both comforting and challenging, inspiring and radical.
In a world of division and inequity, Pope Leo encourages us: “Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies. It spans chasms that are humanly impossible to bridge, and it penetrates to the most hidden crevices of society. By its very nature, Christian love is prophetic: it works miracles and knows no limits. It makes what was apparently impossible happen. Love is above all a way of looking at life and a way of living it.“
We are challenged to work to change unjust social structures and to find simple ways to share love and acceptance with everyone—especially those most in need. Together, let us make choices and act in love.
Janice Andersen
Director of Christian Life