**Pope Leo XIV Criticizes Wealth Elite, Echoes Predecessor's Call for Social Justice**
Vatican City, Oct 9 (AP) — In a powerful critique of the global distribution of wealth, Pope Leo XIV denounced the lifestyle of the wealthy elite, who he says live in a “bubble of comfort and luxury” while the marginalized suffer. His first teaching document since his election in May confirms his alignment with his predecessor, Pope Francis, on issues of social and economic injustice.
Released by the Vatican on Thursday, the document titled "I Have Loved You" was initially drafted by Pope Francis in his final months but was not completed. Pope Leo XIV finalized and signed it, acknowledging Francis's contributions and heavily referencing the former pontiff throughout the text.
The 100-page document outlines the historical commitment of Christianity to the poor, referencing Biblical teachings, early Church Fathers, and recent popes' advocacy for the needy, migrants, prisoners, and victims of human trafficking.
Pope Leo XIV particularly commends women's religious orders for their dedication to caring for the sick, feeding the poor, and welcoming strangers, while also praising lay-led grassroots movements for their work in advocating for society's most vulnerable regarding land, housing, and employment.
According to Pope Leo XIV, the Church’s “preferential option for the poor” is a continuous and non-negotiable mandate, the essence of Christianity itself. He calls for addressing systemic poverty while simultaneously providing unconditional charity.
“When the church kneels beside a leper, a malnourished child or an anonymous dying person, she fulfills her deepest vocation: to love the Lord where he is most disfigured,” writes Leo.
Following the footsteps of Francis, Leo critiques the “illusion of happiness” proclaimed by wealth accumulation. “In a world where the poor are increasingly numerous, we paradoxically see the growth of a wealthy elite, living in a bubble of comfort and luxury, almost in another world compared to ordinary people.”
Pope Francis's outspoken remarks on capitalism had previously invoked criticism from conservative and affluent Catholics, particularly in the U.S., who accused him of Marxist leanings.
In an interview, Pope Leo XIV dismissed such critiques, noting his American roots as a defense: “The fact that I am American means, among other things, people can't say, like they did about Francis, he doesn't understand the United States, he just doesn't see what's going on.”
Thus, Leo’s embrace of Francis's teachings on poverty and the Church’s commitment to uplifting the marginalized holds significant weight in his inaugural teaching document.
Leo finalized the document on October 4, coinciding with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century friar who renounced wealth to live amid the impoverished, a symbolic date since Pope Francis had published “Fratelli Tutti” on the same day in 2020.
Leo identifies with the saint’s ethos: he worked as a missionary in Peru as part of the Augustinian order, known for communal sharing and service. Leo underscores the need to focus on the Gospel's message of charity rather than worldly wisdom.
The document reaffirms the Church’s dedication to the “preferential option for the poor.” Despite historical tensions between the Vatican and liberation theology, which promoted this priority in Latin America, Pope Leo XIV speaks favorably of its aims and evoked Latin America's foundational documents, lauding figures like St. Oscar Romero.
By reframing the 1984 Vatican crackdown on liberation theology, saying it was “not initially well received by everyone,” Leo distances the present dialogue from past controversies, seeking a broader embrace of the Church’s mission.
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