Dilexi Te was released less than three weeks after the world’s first possible trillionaire was announced — to which the pope responded, “we’re in big trouble.”
SUMMARY
Connecting NETWORK's An Economy for All Policy Agenda to Dilexi Te
Dilexi Te comes to us at a time when a small handful of billionaires are controlling more and more wealth, because of a system—and some lawmakers’ choices—that let the ultra-wealthy hoard resources that belong to all of us. As a result, nearly 2 out of 3 Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Across ages, races, and faiths, in our country’s cities, towns, and rural communities, our families and neighbors continue to struggle to pay rent, afford medical bills, and put food on the table.
Pope Leo’s message is clear: This situation is a moral failure. It is time to convert our hearts and energies to building a society where the gifts of God’s creation are shared
among all for the thriving of all.
The pope calls this an “economy of solidarity.” At NETWORK, we call it An Economy for All. Both refer to a future marked by mutual care, not accumulation. It is a future where all of us have what we need to thrive, in accordance with our dignity: quality health care, food, and housing; clean air and water; good jobs with living wages; safe and welcoming neighborhoods; a say in the decisions that affect us; and more.
Reflection
Drawing on examples reaching from the Bible and Jesus of Nazareth to Christians throughout history, Pope Leo shows that compassionate action for justice has always been at the heart of Christian life. Today, that action continues in the growing movements of everyday people—including Catholics—to transform a dehumanizing system into an economy that serves all of us. Both in the past and now, God’s liberating love for us is the ultimate source of hope that enlivens and drives forward our efforts for freedom.