Introduction: Purpose and Context
The Catholic Health Care Association (CATHCA) stands as a vital network of faith-based health facilities and programs serving South Africa, Botswana, and eSwatini. Its work is rooted in Catholic social teaching and built on a mission to reach the poor, marginalized, and underserved—especially where state health systems fall short or government coverage is limited. The release of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te (“I have loved you”) in October 2025 marks a significant doctrinal moment for Catholic social action. This report explores the most relevant themes, teachings, and practical guidance from Dilexi te, showing how they can inform and energize CATHCA’s mission, service delivery, and advocacy.
In examining Dilexi te, this report pays particular attention to (1) health care for the poor, (2) the dignity of marginalized persons, (3) structural justice, (4) the role of lay and faith-based organizations, and (5) the broader mission of the Church in underserved and rural areas. Additional themes of migration, the plight of women, and contemporary challenges are highlighted, aligning directly with CATHCA’s day-to-day realities.
Pope Leo XIV’s Dilexi te is both a charter for Catholic health action and a direct challenge to organizations like CATHCA. It invites all who serve in Catholic health to recall that their deepest vocation is not merely efficiency, effectiveness, or institutional growth. Rather, it is to be a living sign that the Church is “a family where no one is left behind,” that “love for the poor is not optional,” and that the credibility of the Gospel in our time depends on concrete, courageous, and creative acts of care for the sick, excluded, and abandoned.
In the “hour of the poor,” as Dilexi te declares, CATHCA’s witness, advocacy, and daily works are more urgent than ever. The path forward, illuminated by the exhortation’s teachings, is one of solidarity, prophetic courage, and, above all, love—a love that is practical, organized, and committed to justice for all God’s children, especially those “with little power” but to whom Christ says: “I have loved you.”
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