Pope Leo XIV publishes his first apostolic exhortation Dilexi te, dedicated to love for the poor

In his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, Pope Leo XIV takes up Pope Francis’s spiritual legacy and places the preferential option for the poor at the heart of Christian life. Among the testimonies he cites, he explicitly names the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and their co-foundress, Saint Louise de Marillac, as models of humble service and concrete charity in the Church.

In Dilexi te, Leo XIV reminds us that love for Christ is inseparable from love for the poor, and denounces the structures that generate new forms of misery and exclusion. He affirms that “on the wounded face of the poor is imprinted the suffering of Christ,” inviting the Church not to limit itself to material assistance, but to listen to the cry of those who lack dignity, freedom or hope.

For the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, this message is a strong confirmation of the Vincentian mission in the world. With gratitude and hope, we joyfully welcome this first apostolic exhortation of Leo XIV.