World Day of the Poor

The Pope: ‘The cry for justice is being silenced by increasingly subtle methods’

In his message for the 10th World Day of the Poor, the Pope condemns the social injustice stemming from ‘arrogant corruption’ and calls on the Church to be a refuge for those living on the margins: not just assistance, but a listening ear, dignity and redemption

by Rome Editorial Staff

14 June 2026

Pope Leo XIV attends the meeting "Building networks with the world of culture, art, economy and sport" at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, June 7, 2026 (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) APN

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The 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Social injustice affects the poor first and foremost. It also stems from a form of corruption that the Pope describes as ‘arrogant’, capable of discriminating against, marginalising and stifling the demand for justice.

This is the core message of the 10th World Day of the Poor, which will be observed on Sunday 15 November 2026 under the theme ‘The Lord is the refuge of the poor’.

Social injustice and corruption

‘It is regrettable to note that social injustice, stemming from rampant corruption—which is as deplorable as it is discriminatory—remains widespread even today. The loss of a sense of the transcendent in daily life is no longer so much a theoretical denial of God’s existence; rather, it is evident in the failure to take account of his goodness and mercy in the pursuit of personal and social justice,” says the Pope.

The Pope links the spiritual crisis to social division. When God is excluded from everyday life, he observes, relationships between people are no longer built on respect, but on domination. It is the most vulnerable who pay the price. ‘The first to suffer the consequences are the poor, whose numbers are, not by chance, on the rise in many societies,’ observes the Pope. ‘The absence of God no longer places people side by side in mutual respect, but one above the other in a relationship of domination and oppression. Thus, a desecrating logic of abuse and discarding is displayed, which marginalises and humiliates. It is not only individuals but entire populations who find themselves in this situation. The words of the Psalm still ring true: ‘They devour my people as though they were bread.’ The cry for justice from the poor today is silenced by a multitude of increasingly subtle techniques, to the point of rendering their every effort to make their demands heard voiceless.”

Measuring faith alongside those living in poverty

Hence the call for an examination of conscience. Not an abstract one. Not a ritual one. The Pope asks Christians to measure their faith against their real relationship with those living in poverty: presence, listening, sharing, liberation. ‘Certain questions inevitably arise, which on this 10th World Day of the Poor we urgently need to let resound in our minds and hearts. Are we a sign of a God who is a refuge for the poor? Are we aware of our own poverty and do we prefer it to unjust wealth? Do we go where the poor are, experiencing their marginalisation? Do we listen to their thoughts and share their hopes? Do we speak their names with divine tenderness? Does our charity rekindle and sustain in them the desire for justice and redemption? – asks the Pope – These and many other questions call for a serious examination of conscience, to assess how much more we are called to do for the poor and for their liberation. Then we shall see that the poor themselves become a refuge for others. The experience of poverty makes us particularly sensitive to a renewed solidarity in the face of challenges.”

The message also emphasises the identity of the Church: not a community divided between those who give and those who receive, but a body in which each person is a gift to others. ‘Christ’s love, in fact, makes us sharers in God’s life of love. In this sense, Christians are called not only to seek refuge in God, but also to become a refuge for others in God, without ‘distinguishing between those who assist and those who are assisted, between those who seem to give and those who seem to receive, between those who appear poor and those who feel they can offer time, skills and help. We are the Lord’s Church, a Church of the poor, all precious, all subjects, each one a bearer of a unique Word of God. Everyone is a gift to others,” he continues.

Papa Leone XIV, le immagini del pranzo per i poveri in Vaticano

The 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi

The text also mentions St Francis of Assisi, in the year marking the 800th anniversary of his death. The Pope recalls the gesture of the ‘poor man’ who, having arrived in Rome as a pilgrim to the tomb of the Apostle Peter, stripped off his own clothes to don the ragged garments of a beggar and spent the day begging for alms.

‘The eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi prompts us to recall how, having arrived in Rome as a pilgrim to the tomb of the Apostle Peter, he was moved with compassion for the beggars. To understand and experience their suffering, he took off his own clothes and exchanged them for the ragged garments of one of them, sitting down to beg and spending the whole day among the poor with a joyful spirit,” recalls the Pope - We wish to bear witness that it is possible, even today, to experience the same joy in putting ourselves in the shoes of the poor and listening to them, rather than merely speaking about them. Those who have God as their refuge are free to make prophetic choices, which bear witness to how everything can be rethought from the bottom up, in the humility and fraternity which, alone, heal a world wounded by arrogance.”

The World Day of the Poor, the Pope concludes, must become a concrete step towards recognising those who seek protection, dignity and a sense of belonging within Christian communities. “I trust that this 10th World Day of the Poor may mark a significant step towards rediscovering the faces of so many brothers and sisters who seek refuge in God and wish to feel at home in our communities.”