(SE) On October 24, Pope Francis published a new encyclical focused on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, addressing a world that “seems to have lost its heart,” according to Vatican News.
Titled, Dilexit Nos [He Loved Us], this is his fourth encyclical and comes at a time marked by wars, social and economic imbalances, rampant consumerism, and technologies that threaten to undermine human nature.
The release of the encyclical coincides with ongoing celebrations commemorating the 350th anniversary of the first appearance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673. In the introductory paragraph, Pope Francis writes, “His open heart has gone before us and waits for us unconditionally, asking only to offer us His love and friendship,” Vatican News reported.
In the first chapter, the Pope emphasises the need to “return to the heart” in a world where we are often tempted to become “insatiable consumers and slaves to the mechanisms of the market.” He highlights two essential aspects that devotion to the Sacred Heart should unite: personal spiritual experience and community and missionary commitment, which serve to nourish us and draw us closer to the gospel.
Pope Francis concludes with a prayer:
