“To Serve the Poor is to Serve Christ” – Cardinal Filipe Neri

Goa, 23 October 2025: “To serve the poor is to serve Christ,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, underlining that charity is not merely a duty but a living act of faith. The Cardinal was releasing the Indian edition of the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You) during the annual gathering of Communio Directors at St. Joseph Vaz Spiritual Renewal Centre, Old Goa.

“Love for Christ finds its truest expression in love for the poor. The disciple who loves the Master cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of His little ones,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, who serves as the President of the CCBI and the FABC, and Archbishop of Goa and Daman.

Cardinal Filipe Neri invited the faithful to discover Christ in the faces of the poor and the marginalized. He urged the Church to move from words to action, embracing compassion as the heart of Christian witness. Echoing the words of Jesus, he reminded, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

The CCBI has published the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, written by Pope Leo XIV, focusing on love and service towards the poor. Signed on 4 October 2025 and released on 9 October 2025, this is the first Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Leo XIV. It continues the theme of Dilexit Nos, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis issued on 24 October 2024, commemorating the 350th anniversary of the first apparition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673.

For copies contact: Email: ccbipublications@gmail.com; Mob No: 9886730224.

By Dr. Stephen Alathara