“The celebration of the World Day of the Poor is meant to remind our communities that the poor are at the heart of all our pastoral activity.” Pope Leo IVX

Pope Francis established World Day of the Poor as an annual observance in 2017. After the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis said he wanted to set aside a day so that, throughout the world, Christian communities could become even greater signs of Christ’s charity for those in need.

As the Church prepares to observe the Ninth World Day of the Poor on Sunday, 16 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message focused on the theme: “You are my hope”. In his message, he expresses a deep hope that the Jubilee Year will inspire the development of policies aimed at addressing both enduring and emerging forms of poverty.

Drawing inspiration from the lived experiences of people living in poverty, Pope Leo says in his first message for the World Day of the Poor,  “Helping the poor is a matter of justice before a question of charity.  As Saint Augustine observed:  ‘You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better if none were hungry, so that you would have no need to give it away.’ ” Join us in responding to the Holy Father’s call and his deep hope for our sisters and brothers that the Jubilee Year will inspire responses to both enduring and emerging forms of poverty.