Pope Leo XIV message on ‘love for the poor’
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Last week saw Pope Leo XIV deliver his first apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, to all Christians on ‘love for the poor’.
As a charity that is named Caritas – which literally means putting love into action – his words are especially powerful: “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.”
As World Day of the Poor approaches next month, it’s a good time for us all to reflect and take stock. There are so many economic, social, environmental and political factors which are contributing to the increase in the numbers of people experiencing poverty. Demand for our services working alongside people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire continues to soar and we hear over and over again that some members of our local communities can find it hard to know what to do to help.
Seeing people who never imagined they’d be faced with poverty thrown into situations where they are unable to have a secure, safe place to call home; they have difficulty feeding their children each day or keeping them clean and clothed; or are unable to afford to put on their heating as winter approaches can be overwhelming.
But, as Pope Leo said: “We must continue to denounce the ‘dictatorship of an economy that kills,’ and to recognize that while the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority.”
Every person deserves to live a happy, healthy and secure life, and as Pope Leo said: “The dignity of every human person must be respected today, not tomorrow.”
This underpins all of our work at Caritas too. The dignity of every person we work alongside is central to our decisions. We don’t make those decisions on behalf of others – they are central at transforming their own lives. But, we hope our work empowers and supports them to do so, helping them achieve their goals and impacting their future in a positive way.
We can all help make a difference to others. Even small gestures and steps towards reaching out can have a huge impact on the lives of local people. As Pope Leo said: “There can be no room for doubt or for explanations which weaken so clear a message… We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
He added: “The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking. Where the world sees threats, she sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges.”
There are lots of ways you can help and reach out to support people in your local community. Having conversations, being there to help someone who needs it, taking time to find out more about charities like ours or other organisations that can help, signposting people at a time they need it most.
Whatever our faith, or if we have none, we can all make a difference with even small decisions we make each day and being there for others – building those bridges that Pope Leo refers to and opening our hearts and minds to putting our love into real, tangible and life-changing action.