New Zealand bishops echo Pope Leo's words in new letter
Pope Leo XIV signs his first apostolic exhortation, "Dilexi Te" ("I Have Loved You"), in the library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Oct. 4, 2025, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. (CNS photo)
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have welcomed Pope Leo’s first major teaching document, calling it a “powerful reminder of the Christian imperative to love the poor”.
The Vatican published Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You) on Thursday night. The document, formally called an apostolic exhortation, carries significant weight within papal teaching.
Pope Francis had started work on the letter earlier this year, with Pope Leo revising it and adding some of his own reflections.
“In a world in which the divide been the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ appears to be increasing exponentially, Popes Francis and Leo have laid out starkly the demand on Christians to love the poor,” said Bishop Michael Dooley, vice president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.
It is no coincidence that the document was signed on October 4, the feast day of St Francis, a champion for the poor, Bishop Dooley said.
In Dilexi Te, the case for caring for those in poverty is traced back 2000 years to the life and impact of Jesus. The authors reference Scripture passages, Church leaders from the first century onwards and teaching through the centuries to emphasise the issue.
The document also chronicles many examples of how Catholic individuals and communities have demonstrated their love for the poor through action. It cites hospitals – which emerged from the early Church – as well as Catholic schools, social service agencies, aged care services, justice efforts for prisoners and care for migrants.
“Dilexi Te re-introduces us to some of the giants of our Catholic tradition who have lived out this mission – people like St Francis, St Clare and St Benedict,” Bishop Dooley said.
“In our own New Zealand context, we think of the incredible life of service of Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert and her collaborators, as well as St Mary MacKillop and her sisters founding schools focused on girls and the poor.”
Bishop Dooley said the exhortation isn’t simply a chronology of Catholic heroes of yesterday. It’s a clarion call to Catholics – and all people of good will – to carry out their own practical actions to love for and support those in poverty.
“Ministries like Catholic Social Services, Caritas, MissioNZ and St Vincent de Paul are doing that in concrete ways,” he said.
“And while there is a significant emphasis on financial hardship, Pope Leo invites us to consider how people suffer poverty spiritually, morally, culturally, as well as those who find themselves without various human rights.
“Ultimately, Popes Francis and Leo are reminding us that every human person has inherent and equal dignity – regardless of their personal circumstances. And they are challenging us to play our part in meaningfully supporting those who find themselves facing difficulty.”