On Thursday, 9 October, Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural document will be presented at the Vatican: an apostolic exhortation on love for the poor entitled Dilexit te, on which his predecessor, Pope Francis, had already begun work. The new pontificate officially opens with a commitment to social justice and to contributing in shaping a higher, more complete democracy.
The extensive section devoted to the Bible, theological tradition, and ecclesial teaching dispels any doubt that practices of justice are an expression of faith in the revelation of the God of Jesus. The aspiration for social and economic equity and care for the human rights of the most vulnerable in society, including migrants and those on the margins, are not an adjunct to the life of the Catholic Church, but rather an obligation to the Gospel.
In the Church of the American pope, there is no room for the prosperity gospel which rewards the wealthy and leaves the vast majority of the impoverished to their fate as if abandoned by God. This deepening imbalance, around which a new global (dis)equilibrium is emerging, challenges the Catholic faith at its core and calls on the Church to present itself as an institution that promotes the justice and equity necessary to honor the dignity of every human being.
In line with Pope Francis’s vision, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that charitable practices are not a liberal donation, but the restitution of what is due to those living in poverty and social exclusion. Referring to the Church Fathers, who inspire his theological and spiritual perspective, Pope Leo emphasizes the liturgical dimension of acts of love that care for those in need and who are exposed to systemic violence within unjust human systems.
For those who had hoped for a Catholic Church focused on itself, too busy taking care of its own affairs to pay attention to the wider world, this exhortation will certainly be a disappointment. However, even under Pope Leo, the Catholic Church will continue to be a vigilant observer of what is happening in our societies and a critical voice in the face of political systems that consider the duty to treat all people humanely and with dignity — regardless of their background — to be outdated.
Dignity must also be recognized in terms of quality public education, which enables the equitable acquisition of knowledge and the integral development of human beings in terms of their awareness of rights and intangible dignity. This allows them to become active participants in processes of liberation and redemption from living conditions that are unworthy of human beings who are loved unconditionally by God.
This first document by Pope Leo confirms his position on social judgement and geopolitical perspectives, with the important addition of public education and the cultural formation of younger generations. While an official document naturally considers the universal Church and the whole world, Leo’s focus on the Americas, his home-country, is notable.
It is certainly a critical dialogue when we consider the policies pursued by the current US administration, but it is not politically partisan in that it gives voice to the unrepresented. Catholics in the Trump administration, together with Catholic justices on the US Supreme Court bench, should listen carefully to this dialogue. Rather than simply issuing formal denials or adopting an attitude of superiority (not only political, but also spiritual), seeking constructive dialogue with the first American pope could perhaps prove beneficial for the current US administration.
This would open up prospects that the administration would struggle to access alone, enabling it to regain credibility and, above all, reliability in the context of international relations. This is particularly pertinent at such a delicate moment, when the success of Trump’s plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas could mark the first significant long-term achievement of the current administration.
It is good news for our planet and the many unresolved conflicts that plague it that the Catholic Church, following Pope Francis, is confirming its participation with Leo XIV in the construction of a new, equitable and socially just world order. In this exhortation, Pope Leo expresses the willpower of the Catholic Church to not leave the fate of the world solely in the hands of worldly powers — the technocratic union of finance market, digital giants and political power — which risk being consumed by the success of their Promethean dream.
Dilexit te is a short, readable and effective text, telling peoples and nations that no human being is alone or without representation. If the least, the poor, the marginalized and the excluded find a voice, it means that there is a global institution committed to ensuring that my voice is preserved, honored and heard too — beyond any dream of omnipotence.
