ALIGNMENT BETWEEN
AuthenticResponse & Pope Leo XIV’s Dilexit Te
Overview of the Comparison
The Authentic Response initiative represents a targeted, faith-driven effort to mobilize Catholics in the U.S. for a relational response to homelessness, emphasizing accompaniment, dignity, and parish integration. Pope Leo XIV's apostolic exhortation Dilexit Te (issued October 4, 2025), building on Pope Francis's legacy, calls the universal Church to a "decisive and radical choice in favor of the weakest," framing care for the poor, including the homeless, as inseparable from Christian holiness and mercy. Overall, there is strong alignment between the two, particularly in our shared emphasis on relational mercy, human dignity, and transforming faith into accompaniment. Both view homelessness not merely as a material crisis but as a relational and spiritual one, urging Catholics to "walk with" rather than "walk past" those affected. Highlighted below are key areas of alignment and divergence using a structured comparison. This draws directly from the core elements of our initiative's mission and the exhortation's teachings.
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Areas of Alignment
Aspect #1
Human Dignity as Core Driver
Key Alignment
Both position dignity as the foundation for action, rejecting a "throwaway culture" that discards the vulnerable; our emphasis on "living sacraments" echoes the exhortation's call to recognize Christ in the poor (Mt 25:40).
​Conclusion
The Authentic Response initiative aligns remarkably well with Dilexit Te, embodying its call to make love for the poor the "path to holiness" through relational mercy and dignity-focused action. It operationalizes the exhortation's vision at a grassroots level, potentially serving as a model for the "Church for the poor" it envisions.