ND experts offer insight on ‘Dilexi Te’
On Thursday (Oct. 9), Pope Leo XIV issued his first major document, “Dilexi Te” (“I Have Loved You”), addressed to all Christians and divided into five chapters. The document, which was signed on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi (Oct. 4), was started by Pope Francis and completed by Pope Leo. It reiterates the Gospel call to respond to the needs of the poor, create more just and equitable social and economic conditions in the world and to heed the voices of those on the margins.
Below, experts from the University of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, Keough School of Global Affairs, Institute for Social Concerns and Institute for Educational Initiatives respond to the document.
Rev. Dan Groody, C.S.C.: A civilization of love
“As Pope Leo writes, ‘In every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.’ Pope Leo challenges us to respond with compassion and courage. In a world building higher walls, he urges us to build longer bridges. In a world increasingly fragmented, he calls us to be a unifying presence. And in a world paralyzed by fear, he invites us to promote justice, foster solidarity and help build a civilization of love — one that reflects God’s love for all creatures.”
David Lantigua: A blueprint for authentic unity
“The exhortation is much needed in our divisive and polarizing times, where wealth has increased along with inequality,” Lantigua said. “It offers a profoundly biblical theology of poverty that recognizes both the evil of material poverty but also the saving power of voluntary poverty, both of which were embodied in Christ, the Church’s suffering founder.”
Suzanne Mulligan: A spotlight on increasing inequality
“A feature of ‘Dilexi Te’ is Leo’s insistence that the poor must be heard when it comes to social transformation. Local wisdom and the lived experiences of those on the margins ought to inform strategy. Moreover, human dignity is enhanced when people have a voice, when they have some say over their lives, and when their wisdom and lived experiences help shape public decision-making. After all, ‘the poor are at the heart of the Church,’ Leo tells us in ‘Dilexi Te,’ and so their participation is not only pragmatic but is also a way of affirming their dignity and sacredness.”
Jim Sullivan: ‘Love for the poor must move us to act — and to act wisely’
“Here at Notre Dame, we are called to cultivate a disciplined sensibility to the poverty, injustice and oppression that burden the lives of so many. And, as a research university, one of the ways we fulfill that calling is by working to create a world intolerant of poverty by expanding knowledge about how to solve it.”
Scott Appleby: Pope Leo takes on a new tone of urgency
“‘Dilexi Te’ is radical in that it goes to the very roots of Christian teaching, that compassion for and solidarity with the poor is the most direct path to communion with Jesus Christ, who ‘identified himself with the lowest ranks of society’ and thereby ‘confirm[ed] the dignity of every human being.’”
John Staud: The mission of Catholic education
“As we look to the future, Pope Leo’s words portend a renewed emphasis for his papacy on education, equity and formation. This document signals that the Church under his leadership intends to emphasize education as foundational to the Church’s mission, not as an optional ministry, but as a core form of service to the poor and to society. For those of us in Catholic education, we are called now to listen deeply, to act faithfully and to affirm the dignity of every child.”
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