Dilexi Te - On Love For the Poor

In his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), Pope Leo XIV invites the Church to rediscover the beauty of poverty and the call to love the poor. Signed on October 4, 2025—the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi—this historic document marks the beginning of his pontificate and carries forward the spiritual legacy of Pope Francis.

Begun by Pope Francis before his passing and completed by Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi Te continues the reflection on divine love first explored in Dilexit Nos (2024). Drawing deeply from the example of Saint Francis, Pope Leo calls all believers to embrace simplicity of life, detachment from worldly pursuits, and a renewed closeness to the poor.

With pastoral warmth and prophetic vision, Dilexi Te challenges us to become truly a “Church for the poor,” rooted in the self-giving love of Christ.