Bishop Joseph E. Strickland: The Mirage of Mercy (A Rebuttle to “Dilexi Te”)

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, Bishop Emeritus, Pillars of Faith

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we open a new document from Pope Leo XIV, an Apostolic Exhortation titled Dilexi Te –

“I Have Loved You.” It begins with that tender phrase from the Book of Revelation, and it speaks of a truth we all must hear again: Christ has loved us first, and His love always reaches for the poor, the forgotten, the wounded along the road.

In many ways, there is deep beauty here. The Holy Father reminds us that the poor are not to be neglected, that almsgiving is still a work of mercy, that honest labor gives dignity to every human being. These words echo the long teaching of the Church.

St. Paul told the Thessalonians, “If any man will not work, neither let him eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10). And St. John Paul II taught that through work man becomes a co-creator with God. When we help a man find work, we do not only give him bread – we restore his sense of worth before the Creator. …..

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