Pope Leo’s first major document: the poor evangelize us

In Dilexi te (“I Have Loved You”), Leo XIV writes, “The poor can act as silent teachers for us, making us conscious of our presumption and instilling within us a rightful spirit of humility.” The document, released by the Vatican yesterday, continues: “The elderly, for example, by their physical frailty, remind us of our own fragility, even as we attempt to conceal it behind our apparent prosperity and outward appearance. The poor … remind us how uncertain and empty our seemingly safe and secure lives may be.” The pontiff quotes his predecessor throughout the document.