QUESTION : In Dilexi te we encounter the term “preferential option for the poor’ quite a few times. What is its significance? – Jose Antony
ANSWER : Saji Mathew Kanayankal CST
Pope Leo XIV situates his apostolic exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”) within the long tradition of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), beginning with Rerum Novarum (1891) and continuing through Fratelli Tutti (2020). More than a doctrinal definition or dogmatic proclamation, it is a pastoral and spiritual call to action and commitment. “On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ Himself” (DT, 9), the Pope affirms.
In this exhortation, Pope Leo renews the Church’s commitment to the principle of the “preferential option for the poor,” an expression that emerged in the Latin American context and became central to liberation theology. Although he adopts the term from the CST tradition, Dilexi te offers fresh theological foundations, clearer pastoral guidance, and a more compelling spiritual motivation for the Church’s engagement with the poor. Pope Leo clarifies that this “‘preference’ never indicates exclusivity or discrimination toward other groups” but rather underscores “God’s actions, which are moved by compassion toward the poverty and weakness of all humanity” (DT, 16). As Christopher M. Hess observes, “Dilexi te serves as both a bridge and a new beginning—rooted in the legacy of Pope Francis and blooming into Leo XIV’s own pastoral vision for a world in need of renewed compassion and justice.” The document conveys a clear message: authentic Christian love cannot be separated from compassion for the poor and a commitment to justice. Indeed, “Dilexi te is more than an exhortation; it is a summons to rediscover the heart of the Gospel.”
- Option For The Poor- Fundamental For Christian Faith
In DT, Pope Leo XIV explicitly grounds the “preferential option for the poor” as an inseparable and fundamental requirement of Christian faith. According to him, there is a direct and indissoluble link between the love of Christ and the call to care for the poor. For the Pope, commitment to the poor is not merely a consequence of faith but a prerequisite for it: one cannot truly love God without extending that love to the poor.
The exhortation expands on the practical implications of the option for the poor, building on the social teaching of previous popes. In essence, DT reinforces that the “preferential option for the poor” is a non-negotiable, integral dimension of Christian life, challenging believers to reject indifference and work toward a more just and fraternal society. Thus, DT functions as an invitation to Christ’s disciples “to recognise Him in the poor and the suffering.” Pope Leo XIV offers an in-depth reflection on the root causes of poverty: “The poor are not there by chance or by blind and cruel fate. Nor, for most of them, is poverty a choice,” he states. “Yet there are those who still presume to make this claim, thus revealing their own blindness and cruelty” (DT, 14).
Pope Leo reaffirms the Catholic Church’s long-standing teaching on sinful structures. He calls for “prophetic boldness” to confront unjust systems and to work for a transformation of values, not merely for isolated acts of generosity. His emphasis on working with the poor and marginalised–rather than simply working for them–invites the faithful to renew their commitment and courage in pursuing justice and peace.
He also acknowledges multiple forms of poverty beyond material deprivation–including social marginalisation, the lack of rights, freedom, education, or healthcare–affecting those “who are socially marginalised and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities” (DT, 9). He identifies moral, spiritual, and cultural poverty as well: the poverty of “those who have no rights, no space, no freedom” (DT, 9). Furthermore, he warns of new and sometimes “more subtle and dangerous” forms of poverty, and critiques economic systems whose ‘rules’ generate wealth for a few while deepening inequality (DT, 10, 13).
To address this enduring crisis, Pope Leo places love—the self-giving, Christ-centred love of the Gospel—at the heart of the Church’s mission, especially in relation to the poor. Jesus commands His disciples to love one another as He has loved them, making this the core of Christian life. Dilexi te thus flows naturally from Pope Francis’s earlier work Dilexit Nos (“He loved us”), which focused on God’s love for humanity. Pope Leo now shifts the emphasis from divine love received to divine love lived–our response to the God who first loved us. The exhortation challenges Catholics to translate that love into concrete action, particularly in their relationship with the marginalised, the poor, and those who suffer in silence.
- Christological and Anthropological Foundation
In DT, Pope Leo develops a profoundly Christ-centered spirituality, particularly in relation to the Church’s love for the poor.
The exhortation repeatedly insists that the Church must look to Christ not only as Redeemer but also as the One who embraced solidarity with the marginalised. He writes: “Christ’s self-emptying is God’s decisive option for the poor. To follow Him is to enter into the same movement of descent” (DT, 14). For Pope Leo, the principle of the “option for the poor” is grounded in the mystery of the Incarnation and the kenosis described in Philippians 2:6–11. Thus, he argues that care for the poor is not merely a sociological preference but a theological imperative flowing directly from Christology. This theological claim echoes Pope Benedict XVI’s affirmation that the option for the poor is “implicit in Christology itself” (Deus Caritas Est, 25), yet Leo advances it more forcefully by presenting poverty as a privileged locus of divine revelation: in every rejected migrant, “it is Christ Himself who knocks” (DT, 75).
Pope Leo now shifts the emphasis from divine love received to divine love lived—our response to the God who first loved us. The exhortation challenges Catholics to translate that love into concrete action, particularly in their relationship with the marginalised, the poor, and those who suffer in silence.
One of the central principles of CST is the dignity of the human person, which is rooted in the biblical teaching that humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. In DT, Pope Leo links the option for the poor with this intrinsic human dignity. He writes: “Poverty wounds the image of God in the human person; therefore, every act in favour of the poor is a restoration of that sacred image” (DT, 27). This anthropological approach asserts that concern for the poor arises naturally from the very nature of the human person as imago Dei. To ignore the poor, therefore, is to ignore a reflection of God in the world. Leo further argues: “A society that tolerates the marginalization of its weakest members has already begun to disfigure the face of God present in humanity” (DT, 31). Through this framework, DT expands the theological meaning of the option for the poor beyond acts of charity toward justice, human rights, and structural transformation. The Pope frequently speaks of structural injustice and calls for its reform and renewal.
- The Mission and Identity Of The Church – Pastoral Directives
Pope Leo places the poor at the very “centre” and “heart” of the Church’s mission and identity. Echoing the pastoral imagery of Pope Francis, he describes the Church as “a field hospital that must be built first at the gates of human suffering, not within the walls of privilege” (DT, 45). From this perspective, the option for the poor becomes a criterion of ecclesial authenticity. Thus, the Pope warns that a Church that forgets the poor betrays her own identity. He states that a Christian community that fails to help the poor live with dignity risks falling into “spiritual worldliness” (DT, 113). This re-imagining of the Church’s mission underscores that the Church exists for the poor before she exists for the comfortable. It offers deeper insight into the Church’s credibility, which depends “not on its wealth, but on its wounds shared with the poor” (DT, 48).
The exhortation also calls for deeper engagement and encounter with the poor. They are not merely recipients of aid but full members of the Body of Christ who reveal God’s presence in a unique way. Accordingly, they are not objects of charity but subjects of dignity, grace, and ecclesial participation. Rather than simply beneficiaries of compassion, they become “teachers of the Gospel” capable of evangelising others. Christians are therefore called to listen to them and allow themselves to be evangelised by their experiences. “Serving the poor is not a gesture to be made ‘from above’, but an encounter between equals, where Christ is revealed and adored… Therefore, when the Church bends down to care for the poor, she assumes her highest posture” (DT, 79).
More than a doctrinal definition or dogmatic proclamation, it is a pastoral and spiritual call to action and commitment. “On the wounded faces of the poor, we see the suffering of the innocent and, therefore, the suffering of Christ Himself” (DT, 9), the Pope affirms.
In this light, DT is both a theological meditation and a social summons. It urges Catholics to move beyond the comfort of occasional generosity toward deeper, sustained solidarity with those in need. The exhortation progresses from principles to concrete pastoral norms. The option for the poor is thus reframed not as charity “from above” but as communion “from below.” Pope Leo demands not only service to the poor but life with them: “Pastors and seminarians must live among the poor, listen to the poor, and let the cry of the poor shape their prayer, their conscience, and their pastoral priorities” (DT, 62).
In DT, Pope Leo does not treat the poor as an appendix to the Gospel but as a privileged channel of divine grace and a decisive criterion of ecclesial authenticity. The document offers a compelling vision of a Church that is truly “poor with the poor and for the poor,” embodying the compassion and justice of Christ in the world.
- A Commitment to Structural Transformation
Another major contribution of DT is its explicit critique of economic systems that perpetuate poverty. By declaring that “structures of sin that create or sustain poverty are a direct contradiction of the Gospel. Neutrality in the face of injustice is itself a form of injustice” (DT, 78), Pope Leo reaffirms the Catholic Church’s long-standing teaching on sinful structures. He calls for “prophetic boldness” to confront unjust systems and to work for a transformation of values, not merely for isolated acts of generosity. His emphasis on working with the poor and marginalised—rather than simply working for them—invites the faithful to renew their commitment and courage in pursuing justice and peace.
While he continues to encourage personal charity and almsgiving, the exhortation repeatedly stresses the need to address the systemic and structural causes of poverty and inequality. This insistence calls believers to take strong, unambiguous positions aimed at transforming social structures. The overall tone of the document is clear: in a world marked by widening inequality, ecological degradation, and global indifference, the Church must advocate for policies and economic models rooted in equity, sustainability, and participation. The Church bears a moral responsibility to promote economic and environmental responsibility, to build societies grounded in human dignity rather than greed, and to remind the world that faith divorced from justice is incomplete. Service to God and service to the poor are inseparable. The exhortation therefore calls for a profound conversion of heart—a turning away from indifference and materialism toward authentic discipleship.
Finally, DT offers a deeply spiritual insight: “The poor are not only the object of our mission; they are the sacrament through which Christ comes to meet His Church” (DT, 91). This sacramental vision elevates the option for the poor from a mere ethical mandate to a spiritual encounter. The poor become a living theological place, a locus of revelation, where God discloses Himself to His people.
