Vatican City, Oct 10, 2025 / 09:33 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in the Vatican on Friday, thanking them for their fidelity to Christ and their witness of faith in the “most remote corners of the earth.” 

During the audience, the Holy Father said the Church and the world need men and women consecrated to Jesus to reveal God’s presence and his “great plan of peace and salvation” for humanity.

“Recalling what Pope Francis has already said to you, I too wish to declare that the Church needs you and all the diversity and richness of the forms of consecration and ministry that you represent,” he said Oct. 10 in the Paul VI Hall.

“With your vitality and the witness of a life where Christ is the center and the Lord, you can contribute to ‘awakening the world,” he added, quoting his predecessor.

Expressing gratitude for the numerous good works and ministries carried out by consecrated men and women in different countries, Leo XIV stressed their need to “return to the heart” to “rediscover the spark” of the beginnings of their vocation journey. 

“It is in fact in the heart that the ‘paradoxical connection between self-esteem and openness to others, between the most personal encounter with oneself and the gift of oneself to others’ is produced,” the pope said, citing Pope Francis’ last encyclical letter Dilexit Nos.

During the private gathering, the Holy Father stressed the importance of consecrated men and women cultivating their interior lives. According to Leo, the “best fruits of goodness take root” as a result of “prayer and communion with God.”   

With the conclusion of the two-day Jubilee of Consecrated Life in Rome, the Holy Father said it is necessary for men and women returning to their missions and daily duties abroad to reflect deeper on synodality, which he described as an “important theme for the Church of our time.”

“St. Paul VI spoke of it in beautiful terms,” Leo told those present at the Friday audience. “[St. Paul VI] wrote: ‘How much we would like to enjoy this domestic dialogue in the fullness of faith, charity, and works.”

Emphasizing the need for “domestic dialogue” within the Church, the Holy Father said consecrated men and women belonging to different institutes are in a privileged position to be “experts in synodality” and live values such as “mutual listening, participation, sharing of opinions and abilities, and the common search for paths according to the voice of the Spirit” on a daily basis.

“Today, the Church asks you to be special witnesses to all of this in the various dimensions of your lives, first and foremost by walking in communion with the whole great family of God,” he said.

Toward the end of the audience, Pope Leo expressed his gratitude for their “fidelity and for the great good you do in the Church and in the world.” 

“I promise you a special remembrance in my prayers and I bless you from my heart!” he said.

Miami, Florida, Oct 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

“There’s somebody here who wants to talk to you,” the receptionist said to John Berry.

Now the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdp USA), Berry was serving the Georgia branch when a woman arrived at the office with a check. The stranger wanted to support the organization’s goals of helping people overcome poverty. Her donation was large, but her reason for donating was even more astounding.

“A number of years ago, I was down on my luck, and you all helped me,” she said. “I’m in a position now where I can help you.”

Berry recalled the encounter while pondering Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, published Oct. 9, centering on compassion for the poor. The exhortation’s introductory phrase — from which the title is derived — is “I have loved you,” from Revelation 3:9.

Indeed, the first American pope’s message is about the necessary exchange of love between the poor and those who serve, as mirrored by Berry and the donor.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami recognized the major papal milestone by holding a press conference Thursday to unpack Pope Leo’s words. He summarized the pope’s message: “We are to love the poor, not to blame them for their poverty but to assist them so they can discover and own their … dignity as human beings.”

During the press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami pastoral center, the archbishop spoke about one of the key ideas in Dilexi te, “accompaniment,” which informs the SVdP donor’s story.

“Accompaniment would be treating them as a brother or sister and not lording it over [them],” Wenski said. Otherwise, “they themselves feel offended in their dignity, and then what we’re doing is not so much trying to help them but [instead] trying to make us feel good.”

On the contrary, accompaniment can be far from the feel good.

“Accompaniment means that we roll up our sleeves and work with them, and oftentimes when doing so we’re not going to feel good because it’s going to require a lot of sweat and tears,” the archbishop added. 

Indeed, SVdP USA strives to embody the Catholic mindset of accompaniment, as volunteers dialogue with impoverished families and individuals to tailor the method of aid to their specific situations. Some of SVdP USA’s offerings include monetary aid, food pantries, free pharmacy programs, shelters, clinics, and education centers.

“We’re not the kind of agency where somebody who’s in need walks in the door, fills out a form, slips it under a hole in a glass wall, and then next thing you know, somebody says, ‘OK, we’ll pay your bill’ or hands over a box of food,” Berry explained. “Ours is a sit-down conversation, a personal encounter, where we talk with people and create a solution together. We find out from them what are their needs, what are the things that are challenging them.”

In the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Legal Services represents immigrants in need, and people struggling with the English language can attend parish-based ESL (English as a second language) classes.

As Wenski put it: “The Christian is supposed to answer the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’, and the answer is: ‘The one who needs me.’”

“It is significant because these first apostolic exhortations tend to be the putting forth of a strategic plan for the priorities of the pope for his pontificate,” he added.

Both the archbishop and Berry pointed out that Pope Leo’s missionary outreach in Peru likely informs his perspective on the poor within the exhortation as someone who walked the walk. 

“This is his heart,” Berry said.

Miami, Florida, Oct 10, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

“There’s somebody here who wants to talk to you,” the receptionist said to John Berry.

Now the president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (SVdp USA), Berry was serving the Georgia branch when a woman arrived at the office with a check. The stranger wanted to support the organization’s goals of helping people overcome poverty. Her donation was large, but her reason for donating was even more astounding.

“A number of years ago, I was down on my luck, and you all helped me,” she said. “I’m in a position now where I can help you.”

Berry recalled the encounter while pondering Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te, published Oct. 9, centering on compassion for the poor. The exhortation’s introductory phrase — from which the title is derived — is “I have loved you,” from Revelation 3:9.

Indeed, the first American pope’s message is about the necessary exchange of love between the poor and those who serve, as mirrored by Berry and the donor.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami recognized the major papal milestone by holding a press conference Thursday to unpack Pope Leo’s words. He summarized the pope’s message: “We are to love the poor, not to blame them for their poverty but to assist them so they can discover and own their … dignity as human beings.”

During the press conference at the Archdiocese of Miami pastoral center, the archbishop spoke about one of the key ideas in Dilexi te, “accompaniment,” which informs the SVdP donor’s story.

“Accompaniment would be treating them as a brother or sister and not lording it over [them],” Wenski said. Otherwise, “they themselves feel offended in their dignity, and then what we’re doing is not so much trying to help them but [instead] trying to make us feel good.”

On the contrary, accompaniment can be far from the feel good.

“Accompaniment means that we roll up our sleeves and work with them, and oftentimes when doing so we’re not going to feel good because it’s going to require a lot of sweat and tears,” the archbishop added. 

Indeed, SVdP USA strives to embody the Catholic mindset of accompaniment, as volunteers dialogue with impoverished families and individuals to tailor the method of aid to their specific situations. Some of SVdP USA’s offerings include monetary aid, food pantries, free pharmacy programs, shelters, clinics, and education centers.

“We’re not the kind of agency where somebody who’s in need walks in the door, fills out a form, slips it under a hole in a glass wall, and then next thing you know, somebody says, ‘OK, we’ll pay your bill’ or hands over a box of food,” Berry explained. “Ours is a sit-down conversation, a personal encounter, where we talk with people and create a solution together. We find out from them what are their needs, what are the things that are challenging them.”

In the Archdiocese of Miami, Catholic Legal Services represents immigrants in need, and people struggling with the English language can attend parish-based ESL (English as a second language) classes.

As Wenski put it: “The Christian is supposed to answer the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’, and the answer is: ‘The one who needs me.’”

“It is significant because these first apostolic exhortations tend to be the putting forth of a strategic plan for the priorities of the pope for his pontificate,” he added.

Both the archbishop and Berry pointed out that Pope Leo’s missionary outreach in Peru likely informs his perspective on the poor within the exhortation as someone who walked the walk. 

“This is his heart,” Berry said.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Ancient traces of St. Mark reveal Christianity’s deep roots in Libya

In the eastern Libyan city of Derna, archaeological remains linked to St. Mark the Evangelist continue to bear witness to the country’s early Christian heritage, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Oct. 8. Though not explicitly named in the Gospels, Mark, believed to have been among the 72 disciples sent out by Christ, became one of the four Evangelists and the first patriarch of Alexandria.

Researchers note that Mark may have been born in Cyrene — present-day eastern Libya — before carrying the Christian message across the region’s “Pentapolis” cities. The scenic Mark Valley in the Green Mountain area, with its waterfalls and caves, is thought to have sheltered him and his followers during Roman persecutions. Nearby, “Gospel Valley” is believed to be where he began writing his Gospel. The enduring local veneration of “Mark of Cyrene” underscores how deeply the Libyan landscape is intertwined with the faith’s earliest chapters.

Church schools in northeast Syria face closure after 7 decades

In northeast Syria, Christian churches are warning that more than 70 years of faith-based education may soon come to an end, according to ACI MENA. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has ordered the closure of 22 church-run schools in cities such as Qamishli, Hasakah, and Malikiya for refusing to adopt its new curriculum, insisting instead on teaching Syria’s national syllabus.

Local educators describe the move as a direct blow to the Church’s historic role in education. Negotiations have failed despite appeals to international organizations, leaving families torn between relocating their children or losing access to recognized exams. The dispute, which has already driven emigration among Christian communities, highlights the precarious status of minorities in postwar Syria and the growing tension between Church autonomy and regional political agendas.

Crude bombs detonated in front of Bangladesh’s oldest Catholic church

An investigation is underway in Bangladesh after four assailants on motorbikes reportedly threw makeshift bombs at the gate in front of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tejgaon, central Dhaka, before fleeing the scene, according to a report from UCA News.

A security guard who witnessed the attack on Oct. 8 said he saw white smoke go up around the gate in wake of the explosion that “shook the surrounding area.” A bomb disposal team deployed to the site managed to diffuse two unexploded bombs.

Holy Rosary Church was founded by Portuguese missionaries in 1677 and is nestled among several buildings, including a convent, two schools, a college, and a hospital. It is home to approximately 10,000 Catholics, according to the report.

American citizen, 2 Indian nationals arrested on ‘conversion’ charges in India 

Police in India have arrested an American citizen and two Indian nationals for violating the country’s stringent anti-conversion laws by allegedly attempting to convert Hindu villagers to Christianity at a prayer meeting, according to UCA News. 

After an Oct. 3 incident in the western state of Maharashtra, American James Watson, 58, and Indian nationals Ganpati Sarpe, 42, and Manoj Govind Kolha, 35 have been charged with “attempting to hurt religious sentiments and violating provisions of Maharashtra’s anti-black magic law by allegedly promising miracle cures and prosperity through conversion.” The three were arrested after a local Hindu villager, Ravinath Bhurkut, told police that the group had said during the meeting that “Hinduism was based on superstition and that conversion to Christianity would bring happiness and success,” UCA reported. 

Bishop condemns corruption scandal at South African hospital

South African Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa has condemned a corruption scandal at Tembisa Hospital, where more than $109 million was looted from the institution in what he has said is a grave injustice and direct assault on the poor’s right to health care, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Oct. 8. 

“This scandal constitutes not only a grave betrayal of public trust but also a direct attack on the dignity and rights of the poor who depend on public health care,” he said in a statement welcoming an investigative report on the matter. Dating back to 2021, the scandal saw a whistleblower assassinated outside her home in southern Johannesburg after exposing suspicious and irregular payments at the hospital. 

Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya prepare to launch 5-year Integral Ecology Plan 

Members of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya are preparing to launch a five-year Integral Ecology Plan (2026–2030) aimed at ending the long-standing “piecemeal” approach to projects across their institutions in the east African nation, ACI Africa reported Oct. 8. 

“The Integral Ecology is inspired by Pope Francis, and it is a response to his call,” the executive director of Don Bosco Development Outreach Network told ACI Africa in an interview on Oct. 7. “Often what happens is that our Don Bosco institutions have been doing things piecemeal, one by one,” he explained. “What we wanted to do is to have a comprehensive plan for all the Don Bosco institutions in Kenya.”

German diocese complains of rising number of burglary and vandalism cases 

The Diocese of Passau in Germany has reported 15 cases of burglaries and vandalism in churches for the month of September, CNA’s German-language news partner, CNA Deutsch, reported Oct. 9. 

“We usually have about 15 to 20 burglaries in a whole year, and now we currently have 15 cases that have been reported to us in the month of September alone. That’s very worrying,” the financial director of the diocese, Josef Sonnleitner, said.

According to the diocese, incidents have included damage to doors and windows, sacrificial candlesticks broken, and a holy water vessel and stars from a Madonna statue stolen.

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 10, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Ancient traces of St. Mark reveal Christianity’s deep roots in Libya

In the eastern Libyan city of Derna, archaeological remains linked to St. Mark the Evangelist continue to bear witness to the country’s early Christian heritage, ACI MENA, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, reported Oct. 8. Though not explicitly named in the Gospels, Mark, believed to have been among the 72 disciples sent out by Christ, became one of the four Evangelists and the first patriarch of Alexandria.

Researchers note that Mark may have been born in Cyrene — present-day eastern Libya — before carrying the Christian message across the region’s “Pentapolis” cities. The scenic Mark Valley in the Green Mountain area, with its waterfalls and caves, is thought to have sheltered him and his followers during Roman persecutions. Nearby, “Gospel Valley” is believed to be where he began writing his Gospel. The enduring local veneration of “Mark of Cyrene” underscores how deeply the Libyan landscape is intertwined with the faith’s earliest chapters.

Church schools in northeast Syria face closure after 7 decades

In northeast Syria, Christian churches are warning that more than 70 years of faith-based education may soon come to an end, according to ACI MENA. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has ordered the closure of 22 church-run schools in cities such as Qamishli, Hasakah, and Malikiya for refusing to adopt its new curriculum, insisting instead on teaching Syria’s national syllabus.

Local educators describe the move as a direct blow to the Church’s historic role in education. Negotiations have failed despite appeals to international organizations, leaving families torn between relocating their children or losing access to recognized exams. The dispute, which has already driven emigration among Christian communities, highlights the precarious status of minorities in postwar Syria and the growing tension between Church autonomy and regional political agendas.

Crude bombs detonated in front of Bangladesh’s oldest Catholic church

An investigation is underway in Bangladesh after four assailants on motorbikes reportedly threw makeshift bombs at the gate in front of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Tejgaon, central Dhaka, before fleeing the scene, according to a report from UCA News.

A security guard who witnessed the attack on Oct. 8 said he saw white smoke go up around the gate in wake of the explosion that “shook the surrounding area.” A bomb disposal team deployed to the site managed to diffuse two unexploded bombs.

Holy Rosary Church was founded by Portuguese missionaries in 1677 and is nestled among several buildings, including a convent, two schools, a college, and a hospital. It is home to approximately 10,000 Catholics, according to the report.

American citizen, 2 Indian nationals arrested on ‘conversion’ charges in India 

Police in India have arrested an American citizen and two Indian nationals for violating the country’s stringent anti-conversion laws by allegedly attempting to convert Hindu villagers to Christianity at a prayer meeting, according to UCA News. 

After an Oct. 3 incident in the western state of Maharashtra, American James Watson, 58, and Indian nationals Ganpati Sarpe, 42, and Manoj Govind Kolha, 35 have been charged with “attempting to hurt religious sentiments and violating provisions of Maharashtra’s anti-black magic law by allegedly promising miracle cures and prosperity through conversion.” The three were arrested after a local Hindu villager, Ravinath Bhurkut, told police that the group had said during the meeting that “Hinduism was based on superstition and that conversion to Christianity would bring happiness and success,” UCA reported. 

Bishop condemns corruption scandal at South African hospital

South African Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa has condemned a corruption scandal at Tembisa Hospital, where more than $109 million was looted from the institution in what he has said is a grave injustice and direct assault on the poor’s right to health care, ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, reported Oct. 8. 

“This scandal constitutes not only a grave betrayal of public trust but also a direct attack on the dignity and rights of the poor who depend on public health care,” he said in a statement welcoming an investigative report on the matter. Dating back to 2021, the scandal saw a whistleblower assassinated outside her home in southern Johannesburg after exposing suspicious and irregular payments at the hospital. 

Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya prepare to launch 5-year Integral Ecology Plan 

Members of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Kenya are preparing to launch a five-year Integral Ecology Plan (2026–2030) aimed at ending the long-standing “piecemeal” approach to projects across their institutions in the east African nation, ACI Africa reported Oct. 8. 

“The Integral Ecology is inspired by Pope Francis, and it is a response to his call,” the executive director of Don Bosco Development Outreach Network told ACI Africa in an interview on Oct. 7. “Often what happens is that our Don Bosco institutions have been doing things piecemeal, one by one,” he explained. “What we wanted to do is to have a comprehensive plan for all the Don Bosco institutions in Kenya.”

German diocese complains of rising number of burglary and vandalism cases 

The Diocese of Passau in Germany has reported 15 cases of burglaries and vandalism in churches for the month of September, CNA’s German-language news partner, CNA Deutsch, reported Oct. 9. 

“We usually have about 15 to 20 burglaries in a whole year, and now we currently have 15 cases that have been reported to us in the month of September alone. That’s very worrying,” the financial director of the diocese, Josef Sonnleitner, said.

According to the diocese, incidents have included damage to doors and windows, sacrificial candlesticks broken, and a holy water vessel and stars from a Madonna statue stolen.

WASHINGTON - Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops welcomed the first apostolic exhortation from Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi te, which invites all the faithful to renew their commitment and closeness to the poor.

“In the first apostolic exhortation from Pope Leo XIV, we are consoled and challenged by his message reminding us of the deep love Christ has for each member of the human family. ‘God’s love is vividly demonstrated by his protection of the weak and the poor,’ our Holy Father writes. Building upon the teaching of his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV has offered to us a powerfully moving invitation to reflect upon the history of the Church’s service to the poor and urges us to allow it to transform our contemporary lives. The Holy Father reminds us of a simple, life-changing truth, ‘love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God.’ This means that ‘charity is not optional but a requirement of true worship.’

“Our lives must reflect the reality of the ultimate, loving sacrifice of Christ. The Holy Father calls upon each of us to respond to a world that is marked by indifference, division, and apathy especially when directed towards the poor and vulnerable. On the challenges we face with contemporary migration, he encourages us to respond with four actions: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. This is a sharp contrast to the culture of fear being imposed upon our sisters and brothers in Christ.

“A radical love for Jesus Christ and a sincere desire to worship God is countercultural, and as we continue to unpack the message of Dilexi te, I invite all people to read, reflect, and pray with the message offered by our Holy Father. May it call us to renewal of our Church and society so that we learn to approach each person with the same love Christ has for that person.”

Find more resources to accompany this new exhortation.

### 

WASHINGTON - “I am immensely grateful to the United States and multilateral partners for their tireless work to begin the process that will, God willing, culminate in the ending of the devastating war in Gaza,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.

Bishop Zaidan’s statement follows: 

“As we learn that Israel and Hamas have both agreed to begin the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan—which includes the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops to a mutually agreed upon line—I am immensely grateful to the United States and multilateral partners for their tireless work to begin the process that will, God willing, culminate in the ending of the devastating war in Gaza. As the peace process gets underway, I urge all international partners to urgently prioritize humanitarian assistance for the Gazan people, as well as the rebuilding of the Strip; this will lay the foundations not just for peace, but for the Gazan people’s prosperity.  

“As I previously emphasized, we must continue praying ardently that we, as an international community, do not miss this opportunity for peace. Marking the anniversary of the October 7 attacks against Israel, Pope Leo XIV reminded us of the essential link between prayer and dialogue: ‘The Church has asked everyone to pray for peace, especially during this month. We will also seek, in ways available to the Church, to promote dialogue at all times.’ It is precisely through the process of grace-filled dialogue and a culture of encounter that our common humanity, regardless of religious affiliation, emerges, until we see only brothers and sisters working together for peace, mutual respect, and solidarity. Let us continue beseeching almighty God for peace and cooperation for the good of all people in the entire Middle East.”  

### 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) --The apostolic exhortation "Dilexi Te" ("I Have Loved You") on the church's love for the poor, "is Pope Leo's document. It is the magisterium of the church," although Pope Leo himself wrote that it was begun by Pope Francis, said Cardinal Michael Czerny.

The Canadian cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the exhortation at a Vatican news conference Oct. 9, the day it was published.

Asked what percentage was completed by Pope Francis before his death in April and what percentage Pope Leo added, Cardinal Czerny responded, "It is 100 % Francis, and it is 100 % Leo."

"No new pope starts with an empty desk and a clear agenda," he told reporters. "We always receive from our predecessors, and we always hand on to our followers."

Given that some pundits have already claimed that Pope Leo speaks more about Jesus and less about politics than Pope Francis did, the cardinal also was asked whether it is valid to say Pope Francis addressed poverty from a political point of view and Pope Leo in the exhortation is addressing it from a theological perspective.

"The distinction is valid in the sense that there are emphases, which one can read, one can compare texts, but it's not very helpful and it's not very true," he said. "Pope Leo is making things more explicit that Pope Francis left less explicit, and we could say vice versa."

"The richness, the wealth, the beauty of this exhortation is certainly matched by the richness, wealth and beauty of the things that Pope Francis said and did and published," the cardinal said. "But you will never find a way of putting this on scales and say, 'Oh, Francis is more social and Leo is more theological.' You're not going to get anywhere with that."

When talking about the Christian obligation to help the poor and decrying the injustice of the global market system -- points repeated in Pope Leo's exhortation -- Pope Francis was accused of being communist or Marxist. Cardinal Czerny was asked if the same would happen to Pope Leo.

"Pope Francis always thought that the attacks were a sign that he was actually doing something," he said, so it is not something to be worried about.

And anyway, the cardinal said, the accusations "say much more about the person who is using the label" than they do about the pope. 

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and papal almoner under both Pope Francis and Pope Leo, said the popes are simply saying what the Gospel says, "so we will have to accuse Jesus" of being a communist or Marxist if that's what advocating for the poor is.

The exhortation "is not throwing stones at somebody," but it is looking at the world and saying there are unjust people and unjust structures hurting the poor, who are loved by God and the church, Cardinal Czerny said. "It's inviting us to take responsibility for our choices and our options. That is what the Gospel does, and that is what this does."

Cardinal Krajewski said Pope Leo has asked him to keep doing what he was doing under Pope Francis, which is spending all day, every day giving concrete assistance to the poor.

"We are Pope Leo's emergency room; we are the ambulance that is always ready to go to help the needy in his name," the cardinal said.

"What did Jesus do all day? He went out early -- we know this -- and from morning to night, he looked for people who needed him," Cardinal Krajewski said. "He did not set up an office with visiting hours from 4 to 6 p.m. saying, 'Come to me then and I will help you.' No, that did not exist. He went out looking for people -- those who needed his help: the suffering, the unfortunate, the sick, the beaten, the marginalized, the refugees -- and he healed them immediately, the same day." 

Sister Clémence, a member of the Little Sisters of Jesus, told the reporters that by issuing "Dilexi Te" as an exhortation, Pope Leo "puts us all in motion. In this sense, I also like the difference between an exhortation and an encyclical. An exhortation, as the word says, exhorts us all, it puts us in motion and calls us to read this document and try to find ways to put it into practice."

Father Frédéric-Marie Le Méhauté, provincial of the Franciscan friars in France and Belgium, told reporters that Pope Leo calls on all Christians to get over their unease with the poor.

The poor are not simply "a problem," he said. As the exhortation insisted, they are family, "they are 'ours,' brothers and sisters to welcome because God himself chose them first."
 

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