Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te: Love for the Poor

The text is an extensive excerpt from the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te of the Holy Father Leo XIV, dated October 4, 2025, which serves as a profound call to all Christians on love for the poor. The document establishes a theological foundation for this commitment, emphasizing that Christ identified with the poor, making attention to them an essential path to holiness and a necessary condition of genuine faith. It comprehensively reviews the Church’s historical tradition of caring for the poor, citing Scripture, the lives of various saints, the teachings of the Church Fathers, and social encyclicals to demonstrate that Christian charity must be both practical and prophetic, requiring Christians to address the structural causes of poverty and inequality. Ultimately, the exhortation stresses that the poor are not merely objects of charity but are subjects with inherent dignity who are central to the Church's life, serving as a constant challenge against indifference and self-centeredness.