Pope Francis published the fourth encyclical of his so far 11-year pontificate Thursday.
The 141-page, 28,000-word Dilexit nos (“He loved us”) follows 2013’s Lumen fidei (co-written with Benedict XVI), 2015’s Laudato si’, and 2020’s Fratelli tutti.
The new encyclical’s incipit, or opening phrase, is drawn from Romans 8:37, in which St. Paul says Christians can overcome every adversity “through him who loved us.”
What’s the genesis of the new encyclical, dedicated to “the human and divine love of the Heart of Jesus Christ”? And what does it say?
Here’s a brief guide for busy readers.
What’s the background?
Pope Francis revealed in June, the month traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart, that he planned to write a document on the devotion that swept the Catholic world after the French nun Margaret Mary Alacoque reported visions of Jesus between Dec. 27, 1673, and June 1675.
Alacoque, who lived at the Visitation convent in Paray-le-Monial, eastern France, said she heard Christ telling her that he wanted her to spread his heart’s “burning charity” to the ends of the Earth.
At a June 5 general audience, the pope noted that the 350th anniversary of Alacoque’s first vision fell in December 2023.
“That occasion marked the beginning of a period of celebrations that will end on June 27 next year,” he said. “This is why I am pleased to…
Read the full text of this article at The Pillar.
Image Source: AB/ThePillar/A Sacred Heart of Jesus statue in Alsace, France. © Ralph Hammann – Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)