Suzanne Mulligan on 'Dilexi Te'—a spotlight on increasing inequality

Suzanne Mulligan on ‘Dilexi Te’

A spotlight on increasing inequality

October 9, 2025

Originally published on news.nd.edu by Carrie Gates.

According to Suzanne Mulligan, co-director of the Catholic Social Tradition minor, a moral theologian and a professor of the practice at the Institute for Social Concerns, it is critical that in “Dilexi Te,” Pope Leo dismisses arguments that the poor “are such because they do not ‘deserve’ otherwise, as maintained by that specious view of meritocracy that sees only the successful as ‘deserving.’”

“This is a rebuke of vulgar and divisive public discourse that portrays the poor as a threat, or as architects of their own misfortune,” Mulligan said. “Leo also places the spotlight on increasing inequality in society, with severe implications for social unity, democracy and civic responsibility.”

Pope Leo addresses the many faces of the poor and of poverty, she noted, including those “who are socially marginalized and lack the means to give voice to their dignity and abilities.”

“A feature of ‘Dilexi Te’ is Leo’s insistence that the poor must be heard when it comes to social transformation,” she said. “Local wisdom and the lived experiences of those on the margins ought to inform strategy. Moreover, human dignity is enhanced when people have a voice, when they have some say over their lives, and when their wisdom and lived experiences help shape public decision-making. After all, ‘the poor are at the heart of the Church,’ Leo tells us in ‘Dilexi Te,’ and so their participation is not only pragmatic but is also a way of affirming their dignity and sacredness.”

Mulligan said, however, that like many papal documents before it, “Dilexi Te” could have said more about the role of women in society and offered a more robust condemnation of gender-based violence.

“Leo cites Pope Francis when he says they are ‘doubly poor … who endure situations of exclusion, mistreatment and violence, since they are frequently less able to defend their rights,’” Mulligan said. “But much more needs to be said. Women’s voices, their intelligence, resilience and experiences are largely absent from the social corpus.

“Nevertheless, this document serves as a timely reminder of where we find ourselves today. This exhortation continues the prophetic, countercultural call to be agents of mercy, compassion and positive action in the world. It reiterates the Church’s tradition of standing alongside the vulnerable, reaffirming its mission to go to the poor, the weary and the forgotten. It invokes the example of the saints who lived lives of simplicity, compassion and understanding, and calls us to do the same.”

Read the full story “ND experts offer insight on ‘Dilexi Te'” at Notre Dame News.