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In his latest encyclical, Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us), Pope Francis has called on the global Catholic community to place love at the centre of life and counter the impact of consumerism, division and artificial intelligence on human relationships.
The Pope’s message, published on 24 October, emphasises that true human fulfilment comes from a heart open to love.
“In a word, if love reigns in our heart, we become in a complete and luminous way the persons we are meant to be, for every human being is created above all else for love. In the deepest fibre of our being, we were made to love and to be loved” the pope wrote.
The encyclical, divided into five chapters, draws on a framework for a more compassionate and united world, free from the “mechanisms of the market” and “heartless” conflicts.
Sacred Heart as a model for renewal
The encyclical explores how devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus offers a path to spiritual and societal transformation.
Referencing past saints and popes, Francis presents the Sacred Heart as a symbol of divine love that counters violence, division and the dehumanising trends of modernity.
“The pope’s message to the church and the entire human family, rather than being merely focused on the social aspect as it has been sometimes clumsily described, is born from a single source, that is explicitly presented here: Christ Lord and his love for all humanity” said Archbishop Bruno Forte.
“Mad pursuit” of materialism
A significant portion of Dilexit Nos critiques modern society’s “mad pursuit” of material wealth and consumer goods.
Francis warns of a society that risks losing its heart to consumerism and technology, describing artificial intelligence and technocracy as forces that may dull humanity’s capacity to connect on an emotional level.
“The love of Christ” he wrote, “has no place in this perverse mechanism, yet only that love can set us free.”
In a closing appeal, Francis urged Catholics to “build a new civilisation of love”, suggesting that healing begins with individuals transforming their own hearts and lives.
He added that missionaries should share the love they have received with others, particularly those left “ruined” by a world of material pursuits.
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