New papal encyclical urges devotion to Sacred Heart

October 24, 2024

In his 4th encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis strongly encourages the traditional Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart.

“In the end, that Sacred Heart is the unifying principle of all reality, since ‘Christ is the heart of the world, and the paschal mystery of his death and resurrection is the center of history, which, because of Him, is a history of salvation,’“ the Pope writes.

In the 28,000 word encyclical, issued on October 24, the Pope says that “devotion to Christ’s heart is essential for our Christian life to the extent that it expresses our openness in faith and adoration to the mystery of the Lord’s divine and human love.” He remarks that “the Sacred Heart is a synthesis of the Gospel.”

The Sacred Heart devotion, the Pontiff writes, is a necessary antidote to the attitude of a world that has lost its own heart. It is also a protection against “new manifestations of a disembodied spirituality” that do not lead to a personal relationship with God.

In the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the encyclical teaches, the faithful find a manifestation of Christ’s love, which is both infinite and personal. “His open heart has gone before us and waits for us, unconditionally, asking only to offer us His love and friendship.”

This personal devotion, Pope Francis, also ensures that the faithful develop a personal relationship with the Savior, “lest the love of Christ be replaced with outdated structures and concerns, excessive attachment to our own ideas and opinions, and fanaticism in any number of forms.”

The Vatican had announced in June that Pope Francis was preparing this encyclical, to contribute to the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the appearance of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who popularized devotion to the Sacred Heart.

Unlike many documents of this pontificate, Dilexit Nos does not refer frequently to previous statements by Pope Francis. Instead the encyclical cites earlier pontiffs, including a dozen references to Pope John Paul II and others to Popes Pius XII, Pius XI, and Leo XIII, as well as citations of Dante and Dostoevsky.

 

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Further information:

• Dilexit Nos (full text)
• ‘He Loved Us’: Pope Francis' new encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Vatican News)