BOCA RATON, FL, Oct. 13, 2025 – Today, Cross Catholic Outreach President Michele Sagarino released the following statement on Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te (Latin for “I Have Loved You”):
“In Dilexi te, the Holy Father renews the Church’s timeless call to love and serve the poor; that love is inseparable from our love for Christ himself. Pope Leo reminds us that to profess faith in Jesus, who became poor for our sake, means to see his face in every person who suffers, wants or despairs. As our Lord teaches, ‘Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40).
“In this way, the Holy Father builds beautifully upon the foundation laid by Pope Francis, who called the Church to be a ‘field hospital’ that goes out to the margins. Together, their voices echo the same truth — that we are one Body in Christ, united in love and called to serve the poor with mercy and joy.
“At Cross Catholic Outreach, we embrace this call daily through our work alongside priests, sisters and lay missionaries who serve the most vulnerable in developing nations. Together, we provide food for the hungry, clean water for the thirsty, homes for the homeless, education for children, and opportunities for families to break free from poverty.
“Through Dilexi te, His Holiness charts a path of discipleship rooted in love — love that acts, that lifts, that heals. We echo his invitation to all people of goodwill to join us in building a world where Christ’s compassion reaches every heart and no one is forgotten.
Based in Florida, Cross Catholic Outreach is an official Catholic nonprofit 501(c)(3) relief and development ministry that, since its founding in 2001, has provided more than $4.8 billion in aid to help “the poorest of the poor” in more than 90 developing countries. In addition to providing material aid such as food, medicine and shelter, Cross Catholic Outreach supports ongoing programs in partnership with local Catholic priests, sisters and missionaries to meet other critical needs. It is recognized among Forbes’ Top 100 U.S. Charities and earned Candid’s 2025 Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information, visit CrossCatholic.org or call 800-914-2420.
To schedule an interview with Michele Sagarino of Cross Catholic Outreach, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or kwandra@carmelcommunications.com) of Carmel Communications.