English 
On Sunday, 16 November, the entire Church will celebrate the Ninth World Day of the Poor, an event that takes on even deeper meaning this year as it falls in the heart of the Jubilee Year of Hope. The theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV, taken from Psalm 71, invites the faithful to recognise in the poor not simply a social category, but a theological place where they can encounter the very face of God.
In his message for the Day, the Holy Father emphasises that Christian hope is not based on the security of power and possessions, but on the firm certainty of God’s love. The poor thus become witnesses of authentic hope precisely because they profess it in conditions of precariousness and fragility, placing their trust solely in the Lord. The Day aims to remind Christian communities that the poor are not a distraction for the Church, but rather our most beloved brothers and sisters, who through their existence challenge us to experience the truth of the Gospel first-hand.
This year, the anniversary coincides with the Jubilee of the Poor and represents an opportunity to experience a special time of grace. The celebration invites us to seek, recognise and promote the signs of hope already present in our communities: places and relationships where charity becomes a concrete proclamation, education in justice and the possibility of true social transformation.
The Pope’s message is intertwined with the recent Apostolic Exhortation “Dilexi te”, which reiterates that the preferential option for the poor belongs to the constant tradition of the Church and stems from the same faith in Christ who became poor for us. As the Holy Father reminds us, the question of the poor brings us back to the essence of our faith: the poor are the very flesh of Christ. The World Day of the Poor therefore invites every community to perform concrete acts of charity, to promote policies to combat old and new forms of poverty, and to recognise that helping the poor is a matter of justice even before it is a matter of charity. As St Augustine teaches, quoted in the papal message, it would be better for no one to be hungry or cold than to have to give bread and clothing to those who lack them.
