Pope Leo XIV has released the first document of his pontificate, an Apostolic Exhortation called Dilexi te, ‘I have loved you’.

Underpinned by Scripture, Catholic social teaching, and the teaching of his predecessors, Dilexi te focuses on the Church’s love for the poor and God’s special concern for those living in poverty.

In continuity with Pope Francis’s final encyclical, Dilexit nos, Pope Leo makes a clear link between this document and the new Exhortation: “I share the desire of my beloved predecessor that all Christians come to appreciate the close connection between Christ’s love and his summons to care for the poor.”

Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Department for Social Justice of the Bishops’ Conference welcomed Pope Leo’s first Apostolic Exhortation. He said: “I welcome the publication of Dilexi te and, as with Pope Francis’s first encyclical Lumen fidei, the hands and hearts of two Popes can be seen in this document.”

“As followers of Christ, Christian charity should animate our daily lives. Jesus told the early Christians, ‘I have loved you’, and we are called to show the same love that God has for us in our love for others, especially the poor.”

“I echo Pope Leo when he writes ‘Charity has the power to change reality; it is a genuine force for change in history.’ Catholic charities, such as CAFOD and those under the umbrella of the Caritas Social Action Network in England and Wales, have long exercised a preferential option for the poor.”

“We must not be indifferent to the suffering of others; we must work for the common good and to rebuild solidarity between people. Of course, not all poverty is material, and we must be equally mindful of the spiritual, moral and relational poverty that can afflict our society.”