Pope encourages Catholic Charities USA to love the poor with Christ’s love
May 04, 2026
Pope Leo XIV received members of the board of directors of Catholic Charities USA today, thanked them for their work amid the challenges the agency faces, and encouraged them to love the poor with Christ’s love.
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“As was the case with the Apostles and with the early Church, the proclamation of the Gospel through caring for the poor and for those most in need will always present certain difficulties on both the personal and the institutional levels (cf. Acts 6:1-7),” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place in Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “These include finding sufficient resources, demonstrating to others that this type of service is an integral part of authentic Christian living, and not giving way to discouragement, particularly when we meet those whom we cannot help in the way that we would like.”
“It must be the charity of Christ that compels you in your daily work (cf. 2 Cor 5:14),” the Pope continued. “That is, the desire to bring to others material aid with the love of the heart of Jesus, for it is in that love that they will find genuine rest and their dignity will be respected.”
The Pontiff added:
In this sense, it is true that “love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God” (Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, 26). Yet it is also the case that authentically loving our neighbor entails offering them the possibility of a true encounter with God. Your work with the less fortunate continues to provide a privileged opportunity to share the joy of the Resurrection, and I thank you for this sincere witness of faith.
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