Caritas Australia says Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te on poverty is a “forceful reminder of the priority of the excluded and those on the lowest ranks of society” in the theology and practice of the Church.
The Pope released his first major publication on October 9. The title is taken from the Book of Revelation and means “I have loved you”.
Pope Leo XIV writes: “I am convinced that the preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society, if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness and open our ears to their cry.”
In a statement, Caritas said it is “delighted that Pope Leo XIV has completed a work that Pope Francis left unfinished, added some reflections and is ‘happy to make this document my own’.”
Caritas said Pope Leo shared the “same intense urgency as Pope Francis to put those in need at the heart of the life of the Church and of society”.
In Dilexi Te, the Pope writes that “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”.
Caritas said it “especially appreciates the eucharistic theology of the document”.
“It turns to one of the Church’s pioneers, St John Chrysostom, to emphasise the inescapable connection between the Eucharist and justice.
“He understood the Eucharist, therefore, as a sacramental expression of the charity and justice that both preceded and accompanied it. That same charity and justice should perpetuate the Eucharist through love and attention to the poor.
“Caritas Australia is grateful to recognise in Dilexi Te a much-appreciated endorsement of its work with some of the most excluded people of the world. It encourages us to be even more strident in reaching beyond borders and building bridges.”
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Caritas Australia welcomes Dilexi Te as a reminder of the priority of the excluded (Caritas Australia)
