Today Pope Francis published his fourth encyclical, entitled Dilexit nos – “He Loved Us,” – inviting the whole Church to rediscover the centrality of the love of Christ expressed in the Sacred Heart and the unconditional love of God for humanity through the mystery of the Heart of Christ. The conference presentation of the encyclical took place at the Vatican Press Office on October 24 at noon, Rome time, with the participation of Msgr. Bruno Forte, theologian and Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, Italy, and Sister Antonella Fraccaro, Superior General of the Disciples of the Gospel.
Dilexit nos addresses essential topics such as compassion, mercy and God’s closeness to the poor and marginalized, hallmarks of Pope Francis’ magisterium. The Holy Father emphasizes how the Sacred Heart of Jesus is an eternal symbol of God’s absolute self-giving, who “loves to the end,” inviting the faithful to imitate this self-giving in their own lives, especially in service to the most vulnerable.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been at the core of Catholic spirituality, and Pope Francis takes it up again as a way to revitalize the spirituality of Christians in today’s world. He also mentions the relevance of this devotion in times of polarization and conflict, stressing that the love of Christ is the only path to reconciliation and unity.
This is the fourth encyclical of Pope Francis, after Lumen fidei (2013), Laudato si’ (2015) y Fratelli tutti (2020), and once again confirms the pastoral heart of his pontificate, aimed at renewing the mission of the Church in the world through love and compassion.
For the Vincentian Family, it is also a source of joy that the Pope quotes St. Vincent de Paul.
Click on the image to read the new Encyclical
Key elements of the new encyclical Dilexit Nos of Pope Francis
Introduction
Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit Nos addresses human and divine love through the symbol of the Heart of Jesus Christ. In a world characterized by consumerism and superficiality, the Pope invites us to rediscover the importance of the heart as the center of human and spiritual life.
I. The Importance of the Heart
- Meaning of the Heart: In the Greek tradition, the term karidia refers to the center of the human being, where thought and feeling are intertwined. The heart is the place where decisions are forged and connection with others is established. Pope Francis stresses that inattention to the heart leads to alienation and superficial relationships.
- Modern Challenges: Contemporary society faces the risk of losing its center, caught up in consumerism and technology. This leads to a disconnection with the meaning of life and identity.
- The Need for Deep Questions: The faithful are invited to reflect on fundamental questions about their existence and purpose, leading to a deeper connection with their heart.
- The Heart as the Center of the Person: The heart is seen as the core of spiritual identity, where the capacity to love and be loved is found. True authenticity and fulfillment are achieved by living from the heart.
II. Actions and Words of Love
- The Love of Christ: The Heart of Christ is the core of the first proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus approaches people with love and compassion, showing that there is no room for fear in his relationship with us.
- The Gaze of Jesus: The Pope mentions how Jesus looks at people with love, recognizing their struggles and sufferings. This gaze is a gesture of closeness and acceptance.
- The Cross as a Symbol of Love: Christ’s self-giving on the cross is the ultimate expression of love. St. Paul emphasizes that Christ’s love is manifested in his sacrifice for humanity.
- Devotion to the Heart of Christ: Devotion to the Sacred Heart should not be seen as a distraction from Christ, but as a path to a deeper relationship with Him.
III. This is the Heart that has Loved so Greatly
- Thirst for Love: The Heart of Christ thirsts for love and seeks to be reciprocated. This thirst is manifested in the desire for men to respond to his love.
- The Social Dimension of Love: Love for our brothers and sisters is the best response to the love of Christ. The Pope emphasizes that love cannot be separated from social action and commitment to others.
- Reparation and Construction: Reparation to the Heart of Christ involves working to heal the wounds of the world and build a civilization of love. This requires an active commitment to justice and human dignity.
IV. A Love that Gives itself as Drink
- Social Reparation: Reparation is not only an individual act, but has a strong social meaning. Pope Francis calls Christians to join in building a more just and caring society.
- Healing Wounded Hearts: Reparation also involves healing hearts wounded by sin and injustice. The love of Christ must flow through our actions toward others.
- The Offering to Love: True reparation is offered to the Heart of Christ, allowing his love to expand in the world. This requires a transformation of the human heart.
V. Love for Love
- The Response to Christ’s Love: The response to Christ’s love must be love for others. The Pope stresses that love is not contrived, but arises from a transformation of the heart.
- Mission and Communion: The mission of Christians is to communicate Christ’s love to the world. This is lived in communion with the community and the Church.
- The Missionary Dimension: Mission is not only a duty, but an expression of the love that has been received. Missionaries must be people in love with Christ, willing to share that love.
Pope Francis concludes the encyclical by calling for the Heart of Christ to pour out rivers of love and healing in the world, a plea to recognize the dignity of each person and to work together for a more just world in solidarity, where the love of Christ transforms human relationships and society as a whole. The encyclical invites everyone to return to the heart, to live from love and to build a future full of hope and fraternity.
Quotations from Pope Francis mentioning St. Vincent de Paul:
In No. 148, the Pope refers to a profound current of interior life, quoting St. Vincent de Paul in relation to devotion to the Heart of Christ and inviting us to a sincere union between our heart and the heart of Christ, reminding us that those who are disposed to draw close to Him will receive numerous blessings:
Devotion to the heart of Christ reappears in the spiritual journey of many saints, all quite different from each other; in every one of them, the devotion takes on new hues. Saint Vincent de Paul, for example, used to say that what God desires is the heart: “God asks primarily for our heart – our heart – and that is what counts. How is it that a man who has no wealth will have greater merit than someone who has great possessions that he gives up? Because the one who has nothing does it with greater love; and that is what God especially wants…”1 This means allowing one’s heart to be united to that of Christ. “What blessing should a Sister not hope for from God if she does her utmost to put her heart in the state of being united with the heart of our Lord!”2
1. Conference to Priests, “Poverty”, 13 August 1655.
2. Conference to the Daughters of Charity, “Mortification, Correspondence, Meals and Journeys (Common Rules , art. 24-27), 9 December 1657.
The second reference is found in No. 180, where fraternity and mysticism are discussed. This passage highlights how St. Vincent’s dedication, nourished by devotion to the Heart of Christ, led him to exhort his disciples to take from the heart of Our Lord some words of consolation for the sick poor. In addition, the importance of meekness in the practice of service to others is emphasized:
Father Henri Huvelin, the spiritual director of Saint Charles de Foucauld, observed that, “when our Lord dwells in a heart, he gives it such sentiments, and this heart reaches out to the least of our brothers and sisters. Such was the heart of Saint Vincent de Paul… When our Lord lives in the soul of a priest, he makes him reach out to the poor”. It is important to realize that the apostolic zeal of Saint Vincent, as Father Huvelin describes it, was also nurtured by devotion to the heart of Christ. Saint Vincent urged his confreres to “find in the heart of our Lord a word of consolation for the poor sick person”. If that word is to be convincing, our own heart must first have been changed by the love and tenderness of the heart of Christ. Saint Vincent often reiterated this conviction in his homilies and counsels, and it became a notable feature of the Constitutions of his Congregation: “We should make a great effort to learn the following lesson, also taught by Christ: ‘Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart’. We should remember that he himself said that by gentleness we inherit the earth. If we act on this, we will win people over so that they will turn to the Lord. That will not happen if we treat people harshly or sharply”.
(H. HUVELIN, Quelques directeurs d’âmes au XVII siècle, Paris, 1911, 97.)
Finally, in No. 207, the Pope points out that St. Vincent de Paul taught his disciples to ask the Lord for the heart of the Son of God, to carry his fire everywhere:
The flames of love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus also expand through the Church’s missionary outreach, which proclaims the message of God’s love revealed in Christ. Saint Vincent de Paul put this nicely when he invited his disciples to pray to the Lord for “this spirit, this heart that causes us to go everywhere, this heart of the Son of God, the heart of our Lord, that disposes us to go as he went… he sends us, like [the apostles], to bring fire everywhere.”
Conference, “Repetition of Prayer”, 22 August 1655.
Informations taken from https://www.corazondepaul.org/
The Heart of Jesus in Vincentian Spirituality
Learn more about the devotion to the Heart of Jesus of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in the following two presentations:
The Heart of Jesus in the Spirituality of St. Louise de Marillac
This is a wonderful article. We often forget the motivation that moved St. Vincent to love all the others. Thanks for promoting this to all of us Vincentians.