As the Catholic Church prepares to mark the Ninth World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo XIV issues a message centred on the theme: “You are my hope”, and expresses his hope that this Jubilee Year may encourage the development of policies aimed at combating forms of poverty both old and new.
Drawing from the Psalms and the lived experience of the Suffering Servant, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to recognise the poor not as objects of charity but as protagonists of hope.
He also expresses his hope that the Jubilee Year may be an occasion to implement new initiatives to support and assist “the poorest of the poor”, and noted that “Labour, education, housing and health are the benchmarks of a security that will never be attained by the use of arms”.
The Pope’s message, released on the Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua, patron of the poor, called on the faithful to regard Christian hope as a response to the instability that pervades the world.
“Hope is never disappointing,” Pope Leo said, recalling Saint Paul’s assurance that “hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts”.
Witnesses to hope amid hardship
Pope Leo noted how the poor, though deprived of material security, often embody a hope that is deep and enduring. “They continue to move ‘with light step and bright eyes’, not because they possess more, or suffer less, necessarily,” he wrote, “but because they know they are loved.”
The Pope explains that, “were hope to pass from fleeting hopes to a lasting hope,”
“The greatest form of poverty,” he stated, “is not to know God.” Citing Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium, he highlighted the fact that spiritual care must not be denied to the poor, who “have a special openness to the faith”.
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Hope as an anchor
The Catholic Pontiff went on to recall how early Christians viewed hope as an anchor: “Christian hope is like an anchor that grounds our hearts in the promise of the Lord Jesus”. In a world plagued by war, displacement, and environmental degradation, he insisted that this hope remains the anchor holding human dignity fast.
“Charity is not just a promise,” the Pope reminded, “it is a grace readily to be embraced with joy and responsibility.”
From the city of man to the City of God and in time
Drawing a direct line between faith and social responsibility, the Pope recalled the Church’s long-standing teaching that poverty must be addressed at its structural roots.
“Poverty has structural causes that must be addressed and eliminated,” he wrote, calling for policies that reflect Christian commitment to labour, education, housing and healthcare.
And denying a culture of indifference, he pointed to how “quiet signs of hope” are home-care homes, soup kitchens, and “slums in which joy is often overlooked,” he said.
“The poor are not a distraction for the Church,” the Pope reiterated, “they are our beloved brothers and sisters… they put us in contact with the truth of the Gospel.”
A jubilee of responsibility
Making his invitation all the more urgent, he reminded Christians that this year’s World Day of the Poor is closely linked to the ongoing jubilee celebration: “Once the Holy Door is closed, we are to cherish and share with others the divine gifts granted us.”
Thus, he urged believers to “love the poor not merely as recipients of care, but as ‘creative subjects who challenge us to find new ways of living out the Gospel today’”.
Pope Leo also echoed the wisdom of Saint Augustine, urging justice over mere generosity: “You give bread to a beggar at your door. But would you not be more just if you ensured that no one lacked bread?”
He concluded his message with a blessing: “May this World Day of the Poor find us ready to discover, in the embrace of the poor, the hope that is missing in a world consumed by rage and fear. May we learn anew to hope in the Lord.”
The World Day for the Poor will be marked on 17 November 2025, the Sunday preceding the Solemnity of Christ the King, as is customary, and the liturgical readings for the day will focus on the virtues of faith and endurance amid persecution.
Pope Leo’s message comes at a time of renewed concern about growing poverty and work towards ending cycles of inequality, and coincides with the Sunday of Ordinary Time.
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