Dilexit nos

Dilexit nos, Pope Francis’ fourth encyclical after Lumen fidei, Laudato si’ and Fratelli tutti, invites us to rediscover the heart as a symbol of Christ’s human and divine love, essential for transforming a world marked by wars, socioeconomic imbalances and consumerism. The pontiff proposes the Heart of Jesus as a synthesis of the Gospel and a model of spiritual and social renewal.

The text, composed of five chapters and 220 paragraphs, opens with a reminder of the importance of the heart, understood as the seat of emotions, choices and personal encounters with God. Francis emphasizes that the heart is essential for overcoming the fragmentation of individualism and for building authentic relationships. The pope denounces a society dominated by technology and consumerism, incapable of listening to the interior processes necessary to cultivate faith and love.

Bergoglio retraces devotion to the Sacred Heart, from the Sacred Scriptures to Christian tradition. He recalls figures such as Ignatius of Loyola, Margaret Mary Alacoque and Therese of Lisieux, showing how contemplation of the Heart of Jesus inspired saints and believers to live an intimate relationship with Christ. He emphasizes that devotion to the Sacred Heart is not linked to private revelations, but is a synthesis of the evangelical message, which unites human and divine love.

The encyclical invites us to renew this devotion to counter disembodied spiritualities and pastoral practices devoid of the Gospel. The heart becomes the place where faith, spiritual experience and mission meet. The Pope recalls the importance of a Christianity capable of witnessing the tenderness and joy of service, inspiring a mission that begins with a personal encounter with Christ and extends to the construction of a more just, fraternal and supportive world.

Francis reflects on the community dimension of devotion to the Sacred Heart, which, leading to the Father, sends to the brothers. Fraternal love, he explains, is the concrete response to Christ's message and the key to a "civilization of love". The pontiff ends with a prayer: he asks that rivers of grace flow from the Heart of Christ to heal the wounds of the world and guide humanity towards the heavenly Kingdom, where all differences will be harmonized in the love of God.


Domenico Agasso
NP December 2024