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In this week’s episode of Church Potluck, we sit down for a roundtable on Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”), Pope Leo XIV’s very first apostolic exhortation, a pastoral message of encouragement. Leo takes this opportunity to call Christians to a deeper commitment to the poor, broadly defined as those who are economically disadvantaged, displaced, or marginalized.

Together, we discuss how Leo grounds his message in both Scripture and church tradition, the continuity with Pope Francis’ papacy, and why this document is addressed to all Christians, not just Catholics. We wrestle with critiques from prosperity gospel and Marxist perspectives, examine the balance between charity and justice, and consider the shared responsibility of both governments and individuals. We also touch on liberation theology, relative vs. absolute poverty, and the Pope’s challenge not to “other” the poor but to recognize them as part of the church itself.

Joining the conversation are Dr. Christy Snider, a cradle Catholic with twelve years of Catholic schooling; Brett Adams, a convert to Catholicism with roots in the Church of the Nazarene; and Dr. Michael Papazian, an Armenian Orthodox scholar whose academic work often bridges Catholic and Orthodox thought. 

And for some fun, we play our game show “Is It In There?”, guessing which Bible verses Pope Leo actually cited in the exhortation.

The views expressed on Church Potluck are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.