On the occasion of the 10th World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo XIV offers the Church a profound reflection on the face of God who becomes a refuge for those who are poor, vulnerable, and forgotten. Drawing from the words of the Psalmist – “The Lord is the refuge of the poor” – the Holy Father calls attention to the central place of the poor in Christian life and to the responsibility of building relationships founded on justice, dignity, and fraternity.

In a world marked by growing inequalities, conflicts, forced migration, and new forms of social exclusion, Pope Leo XIV invites us to recognize the poor not only as people in need of assistance, but also as protagonists of hope and witnesses to a radical trust in God. The message strongly emphasizes the need to confront the culture of waste and indifference that often renders entire populations invisible and silences their cry for justice.

At the heart of the text is a call to conversion and renewed fidelity to the Gospel. The Holy Father reminds us that Christ himself became poor and continues to be present in those who live in situations of fragility, marginalization, and suffering. To be disciples of Jesus, therefore, also means becoming signs of God's tenderness and closeness.
 

In his message, Pope Leo XIV poses several questions that invite both personal and communal reflection:

• Are we a sign of a God who is a refuge for the poor?
• Are we aware of our own poverty, and do we prefer it to unjust wealth?
• Do we go where the poor are, sharing in their experience of marginalization?
• Do we listen to their thoughts and share in their hopes?
• Do we speak their names with divine tenderness?
• Does our charity awaken and sustain in them the desire for justice and dignity?

As we celebrate this 10th World Day of the Poor, the Holy Father's message invites us to look at the poor through the eyes of the Gospel and to rediscover the call to be a Church that walks with them, recognizing in every person the inviolable dignity of being a daughter or son of God.