The Poverty That Brings Peace

The Jubilee Year of Hope, initiated by Pope Francis on Christmas Eve 2024, is set to conclude on January 6, 2026, under the guidance of Pope Leo XIV.

 

This period has been a profound journey for the Catholic Church, emphasizing the intrinsic link between Christ's love and the call to care for the poor.

 

In the encyclical Dilexi Te, a collaborative work begun by Francis and completed by Leo, the message is clear: recognizing Christ in the poor and suffering reveals the very heart of Christ, a truth every saint seeks to emulate.

 

Throughout this Jubilee, the Church has underscored three inseparable aspects of hope: the essential connection between Christ's love and care for the poor, the revelation of Christ's heart in the poor, and the saints' imitation of Christ by embracing poverty to serve others.

 

These themes were deeply explored in Francis's encyclical Dilexit Nos (2024) and reached their culmination in Dilexi Te.

 

But what does this have to do with hope?

 

Francis elucidates in his book Hope Does Not Disappoint that those who live in abundance often lack the need for hope.

 

It is the poor who truly embody hope, untainted by the desire to possess everything, seeking only what they need.

 

As Francis noted in his 2013 encyclical Evangelii Gaudium, the poor are the protagonists of the most beautiful and spontaneous joys he has witnessed.

 

To be part of this privileged audience of the Gospel, we must embrace poverty, as Jesus teaches in the first beatitude (Luke 6:20).

 

Francis emphasizes that being in real need opens our eyes to God's care for us.

 

Only the poor truly know that the Lord will never abandon them.

 

When St. Paul met the apostles in Jerusalem, the criterion for authenticity was to be mindful of the poor (Galatians 2:10).

 

Early Christian communities distinguished themselves by treating the poor as subjects, not objects, because God made himself poor (2 Corinthians 8:9).

 

Francis's key insight is that Christianity's radical difference from pagan religions lies in the call not just to alleviate poverty but to walk together with the poor in poverty.

 

For the Church, the option for the poor is primarily a theological category, not merely cultural or political.

 

He warns against "aporophobia," a term denoting rejection or contempt towards the poor, reminding us that in a culture prioritizing wealth, the poor highlight what is truly essential for life.

 

Francis's vision extends beyond material poverty to include those lacking access to education and opportunities.

 

He criticizes the individualistic lifestyle that places all responsibility for the poor's condition on themselves.

 

To be pilgrims of hope means to lend a hand to the poor, to look them in the face, and to accept them.

 

By broadening our understanding of poverty, we recognize that the poor are not distant but among us.

 

Each day, we encounter people who are poor or impoverished; they may even be our neighbors.

 

As Francis states, it is scandalous that in a world with immense resources, the poor continue to be the majority of the planet's population.

 

As we conclude this Year of Hope, let us heed the appeal of Leo and his predecessor to not only care for the poor but to be poor; to not only pull them out of poverty but to join them in it.

 

In doing so, we embody the Gospel's call and find the true peace that comes from embracing the poverty that brings hope.