The Vatican released on 9 October 2025 the apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”), signed by Pope Leo on 4 October, the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi. The document was originally begun under Pope Francis, and can therefore be seen as a work shared by two popes – in the same way that Pope Francis’ first encyclical Lumen fidei (“The Light of Faith”) was based on a text initiated by Pope Benedict XVI.
The central message of Dilexi te is that Christian faith cannot be separated from love for the poor. The Pope reminds the faithful that Christ himself became poor and placed himself among the least. The Church is faithful to the Gospel only when she lives and acts alongside those whom the world rejects or disregards.
Dilexi te consists of an introduction and five main chapters. In the introduction, the Pope links the theme to the words of Scripture, “I have loved you” (cf. Rev 3:9), and affirms that God’s love for humanity compels Christians to respond with the same love, especially toward the poor and the suffering.
The first chapter, Some Fundamental Words, describes the reality of poverty and its many forms – material, spiritual, and social. The Pope rejects the idea that poverty can be viewed solely as an individual responsibility and stresses that encountering the poor transforms those who encounter them.
The second chapter, God Chooses the Poor, reflects on God’s special closeness to the lowly and marginalized. Throughout the Bible, God’s love for the poor is shown as an essential part of salvation history. Faith and mercy, prayer and action, belong together.
The third chapter, The Church for the Poor, shows how the Church has, throughout her history, lived side by side with the poor. The Pope refers to the life of the early Christians and to the teaching of the Church Fathers, while also addressing today’s challenges such as migration and social inequality. The Church cannot be content with words or symbols; she must show her love in concrete deeds.
The fourth chapter, A History That Continues, places the document within the continuity of the Church’s social teaching. The Pope recalls the teaching of his predecessors – especially Rerum novarum and later papal texts – and notes that these are not relics of the past but living doctrine, to be applied continually to new circumstances.
The fifth chapter, An Ongoing Challenge, offers a synthesis of the exhortation’s core message. The Pope calls Christians to live in their daily life and in their communities in such a way that the voices of the poor are heard, and that they are treated as brothers and sisters, not as objects of aid.
Love for the poor is the mark of the Church: it is not an optional task, but a visible witness to living faith.
KATT / Vatican News / Vatican.va