Pope Leo XIV has called attention to the spiritual and material dimensions of poverty in his message for the ninth World Day of the Poor, emphasizing that recognizing God is the true measure of wealth. In the message released by the Vatican press office on June 13, the Holy Father stated, “The gravest poverty is not to know God,” adding that when we walk through life with God, “we discover the real treasure that we need.”
The Pope warned against putting too much trust in material possessions, observing that “wealth often disappoints and can lead to tragic situations of poverty — above all the poverty born of the failure to recognize our need for God and of the attempt to live without him.”
Scheduled for observance on Sunday, November 16, the World Day of the Poor was introduced to urge the Church and society to place the needs of the impoverished at the center of attention. Much like Pope Francis once denounced a growing “globalization of indifference,” Pope Leo raised concern about becoming “hardened and resigned” in response to emerging forms of destitution. His message encourages reflection on social responsibilities, rooted in the belief that God’s creation intends for the goods of the earth and the results of human labor to be shared equitably.
He supported this point by quoting St. Augustine: “You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better if none were hungry, so that you would have no need to give it away. You clothe the naked, but would that all were clothed and that there be no need for supply this lack.”
Pope Leo also drew attention to the moral obligation behind helping the poor, stating that this is “a matter of justice before it is a question of charity.” He emphasized that many of us may find ourselves losing things we once took for granted, such as “a home, sufficient food for each day, access to health care and a good education, information, religious freedom, and freedom of expression.”
For him, the World Day of the Poor serves as a reminder that the poor should remain central to the Church’s mission — not only in charitable works but also in the broader message it preaches. “God took on their poverty in order to enrich us through their voices, their stories, and their faces,” the pontiff wrote, noting that the message was signed on June 13, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of the poor.
He was clear in stating that the poor “are not a distraction for the Church but our beloved brothers and sisters.” According to him, the poor offer a living witness to the Gospel through “their lives, their words, and their wisdom.”
Importantly, the Pope rejected the view of the poor as merely passive recipients of aid. Instead, he described them as “creative subjects” who challenge the Church “to find novel ways of living out the Gospel today.” In this light, he called for every kind of poverty to be seen as a call “to experience the Gospel concretely and to offer effective signs of hope.”
Despite being deprived of material security, the poor often embody a more resilient form of faith. “They cannot rely on the security of power and possessions; on the contrary, they are at their mercy and often victims of them. Their hope must necessarily be sought elsewhere,” the Pope explained. He added that by placing God at the center of our lives as “our first and only hope,” we transition “from fleeting hopes to a lasting hope.”
The message also quoted Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium, which declares that the greatest injustice suffered by the poor is “the lack of spiritual care.” Echoing this, Pope Leo commented, “This is a rule of faith and the secret of hope: All this earth’s goods, material realities, worldly pleasures, economic prosperity, however important, cannot bring happiness to our hearts.”
He went on to reflect on the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, asserting that “hope is born of faith, which nourishes and sustains it on the foundation of charity, the mother of all virtues. All of us need charity, here and now.”
Charity, according to Pope Leo, is not just a private virtue but a social commandment that should guide our actions toward the common good. “Those who lack charity not only lack faith and hope; they also rob their neighbors of hope,” he stated.
He emphasized the foundational nature of hope in Christian belief by likening it to an anchor, a symbol used since the early Church. “Amid life’s trials, our hope is inspired by the firm and reassuring certainty of God’s love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That hope does not disappoint,” he said.
Addressing the structural dimensions of poverty, the Pope highlighted the necessity of engaging actively with history and society. “Poverty has structural causes that must be addressed and eliminated. In the meantime, each of us is called to offer new signs of hope that will bear witness to Christian charity, just as many saints have done over the centuries.”
He identified hospitals and schools as essential tools for reaching the marginalized, arguing that these institutions “should be part of every country’s public policy.” Yet he lamented, “Wars and inequalities often prevent this from happening.”
He pointed to grassroots initiatives as beacons of hope, referencing “group homes, communities for minors, centers for listening and acceptance, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and schools for low-income students.” According to the Pope, “How many of these quiet signs of hope often go unnoticed and yet are so important for setting aside our indifference and inspiring others to become involved in various forms of volunteer work!”
In conclusion, Pope Leo called for the global community and Church leaders to formulate policies targeting both old and emerging forms of poverty. “Labor, education, housing, and health are the foundations of a security that will never be attained by the use of arms,” he stressed. Expressing optimism, he said, “I express my appreciation for those initiatives that already exist, and for the efforts demonstrated daily on the international level by great numbers of men and women of goodwill.”
With a blend of spiritual reflection and practical guidance, Pope Leo XIV’s message for the World Day of the Poor seeks to reawaken compassion, deepen faith, and spur action for justice in a world that continues to be marked by inequality and suffering.