POPE LEO XIV’S FIRST APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION
As the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion faithful, the pope has a monumental task in directing the Church. Each pope sets priorities and a direction as he leads us ever closer to the fullness of God’s kingdom. For example, St. John XXIII opened the Church to the modern world with the Second Vatican Council. St. John Paul II showed God’s love to the entire world with his many trips to every corner of the globe. Pope Francis called us to become a field hospital and a synodal Church. As Pope Leo XIV offers us his first apostolic exhortation, he offers us a glimpse into his priorities and direction. The influence of his years as a missionary in Peru and his close relationship to the late Pope Francis are very evident as he focuses on the role of the poor in the Church. Allow me to offer a summary of this document, providentially promulgated on 4 November, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in the hope that you will read the entire exhortation; you can easily find it on the internet by going to Vatican.va.
Pope Leo begins his exhortation with a quote from the Book of Revelation: “I have loved you” (3:9). He goes on to explain that these words are spoken to an early Christian community in ancient Greece that had no influence or resources and was often treated with violence and contempt. Then, in the first of his many references to his immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, Pope Leo recalls Pope Francis’ encyclical, Dilexit Nos, where he reflected on the human and divine love of Jesus Christ. Quoting that encyclical, Pope Leo reminds us that Jesus identified himself “with the lowest ranks of society.”
Our Holy Father then leads us through Sacred Scripture to demonstrate God’s special love for the poor. He recalls Psalm 34:7 where we read: “This poor one cried out and the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him.” He also calls to mind the prophets Amos and Isaiah who, speaking in the name of God, called the ancient Israelites to care for the poor in their midst.
Pope Leo goes on to explain that “the Old Testament history of God’s preferential love for the poor and his readiness to hear their cry…comes to fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth.” He then recounts the poverty that Jesus embraced, being born in a manger, fleeing with Mary and Joseph as a refugee to Egypt, living a poor life as the son of a carpenter, being driven out of town for announcing in Nazareth that the year of grace which would bring joy to the poor was fulfilled in him, having no place to lay his head, and being crucified as a criminal. Meanwhile, during his public ministry, Jesus fed the poor, cured the sick and taught: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Lk 7:22). Our Holy Father concludes that Jesus “presented himself to the world not only as a poor Messiah, but also as the Messiah of and for the poor.”
“For this reason, works of mercy are recommended as a sign of the authenticity of worship, which, while giving praise to God, has the task of opening us to the transformation that the Spirit can bring about in us, so that we may all become an image of Christ and his mercy towards the weakest,” our Holy Father exhorts us. Throughout the history of the Church, this has been the constant call of its leaders, from Saint Ignatius of Antioch to Justin, Ambrose, Augustine, Francis of Asissi and, in our day, Theresa of Calcutta.
Turning his attention next to an ageless and, at the same time a very contemporary issue, Pope Leo addresses his concern for migrants. He recalls for us that the “experience of migration accompanies the history of the People of God. Abraham sets out without knowing where he is going; Moses leads the pilgrim people through the desert; Mary and Joseph flee with the child Jesus to Egypt.” He goes on to explain that “for this reason, the Church has always recognized in migrants a living presence of the Lord who, on the day of judgment, will say to those on his right: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’”
In this document, our Holy Father also calls us to consider the poor and migrants “as subjects capable of creating their own culture, rather than as objects of charity on the part of others. …Their experience of poverty gives them the ability to recognize aspects of reality that others cannot see; for this reason, society needs to listen to them.”
Pope Leo ends this, his first apostolic exhortation, with encouragement in these words: “Through your work, your efforts to change unjust social structures or your simple, heartfelt gesture of closeness and support, the poor will come to realize that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: ‘I have loved you’” (Rev 3:9).
It is clear that our new pope has prioritized the poor and marginalized, just as Jesus did. Our parish does this, as well, especially in our care for the needy at St. Martin de Porres, our sister parish. Let us continue to follow the way of our Lord and heed the call of Pope Leo. We, and the entire Church, will be enriched!