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Pope Leo recently released his first Apostolic Exortation, “I have Loved You,” about God’s special love for the marginalized. You can read the full letter here.
Since reading it may be a lot, I’ve written a shorter synopsis. Merry Christmas! Love Mary Ellen
Here’s a synopsis of the letter:
The Pope writes this letter as “a call to recognize Christ in the poor and the suffering.” “The love of the Lord is one with love of the poor.” He argues that giving a preferential option to the weak, the sick, the migrant, the prisoner, the poor and suffering should serve as true North in a compass of sorts when we make decisions about our Church buildings and adornments, how we spend money, who we focus on, who we evangelize, how we define Christian mission and vocation. When we prefer the poor we will experience Church renewal. He says “caring for the poor is a beacon of evangelical light to illumine the hearts and guide the decisions of Christians in every age.” The poor are the treasures of our Church.The poor are the sacramental presence of the Lord.
What is the Pope seemingly fed up with…
The Pope has no energy for chasing material comfort, living in “bubbles” free of the burden of the poor, arguing that neo liberalism or capitalism will eventually enrich everyone, blaming the poor for their poverty, praying a lot while ignoring the poor, ignoring the poor because they are our enemy, letting logic and self interest override the call to help the poor, empty words, Christian movements that show little interest in the common good or protection of the vulnerable, passing off care for the poor solely to the government, church social justice committees that are all talk, having rich congregations that don’t help the poor congregations, having segregated congregations at all, justifying avoiding almsgiving because we aren’t sure if it’s the best way to help, appropriating excess to ourselves when others lack the bare necessities of life, believing that some have earned the right to be significantly richer than the poor because they are smarter and deserve it, focusing Church energy on the elite believing that converting them will move more money to the poor, ignoring the spiritual life and needs of the poor, churches that focus solely on prayer and doctrine with with no attention to the poor.
The Pope highlights that we should
-visit and touch the sick
-care for the sick
-include care for the poor in monastic life
-provide food
-pay special attention to excluded women
-give alms
-give the poor opportunity to share their voice
-educate the poor
-form conscience and transmit wisdom to the poor
-visit prisoners
-free prisoners
-eradicate slavery
-accompany migrants
-educate migrants
-welcome, promote, protect and integrate migrants
-respect and evangelize the poor
-fight against the structural causes of poverty and inequality
-Look to the church’s social teaching for guidance
-give work to the poor
-listen to the poor; be attentive to the poor; serve the poor because they are beautiful children of God
-be evangelized by the poor
-lobby government institutions to support the poor
-do something rather than nothing
-see our excess as an opportunity to be generous with the poor
