The Vatican announced on Monday that Pope Francis will release his fourth encyclical, Dilexit nos, on Thursday, October 24th. The document’s title is translated as “He loved us” and reflects its focus on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion which Pope Francis holds particularly dear due to its emphasis on mercy. The new encyclical will be presented at the Vatican Press Offices by Monsignor Bruno Forte and Sr. Antonella Fraccaro. Its release coincides with the 350th anniversary of the apparitions that led to devotions and reparations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Pope Francis previously announced that he would be releasing an encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus in
June of this past year, the month that is traditionally associated with the Sacred Heart. At that time, the Holy Father expressed his hope that his writing would help a world that has “lost its heart” to be moved and guided by his reflections on Christ’s love. Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of reparations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a
conference in May of this year, when he said,
Reparation is fully manifested in the sacrifice of the cross. The novelty here is that it reveals the Lord’s mercy toward the sinner.
During that talk, he addressed the role that reparations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus have in healing wounds from
abuse within the Church. Many of the points made during the Pope’s talk, paralleled those made by
Sr. Theresa Marie Nguyen, O.P., who wrote a reflection on the ways in which the Sacred Heart of Jesus can help us to love one another more fully. For example, during the conference, Pope Francis stated,
Reparation therefore contributes to people’s reconciliation between themselves, but also to reconciliation with God, because the wrong done to our neighbors is also an offense to God.
The Church has recognized devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for centuries, dating back to apparitions that appeared to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673. During these apparitions, Jesus revealed His heart, which was crowned with thorns and surrounded by flames. He charged the young Saint to share His love, especially the love He bears for sinners. Pope Pius XII, wrote his own encyclical on the devotion, Haurietis aquas, stating that it was a “banner of salvation,” that heralds Christ’s saving grace in today’s world. Pope Benedict XVI also wrote about the devotion, issuing a letter in 2006.
Image: “Sacred Heart” (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) by Lawrence OP
Ariane Sroubek is a writer, school psychologist and mother to two children here on earth. Prior to converting to Catholicism, she completed undergraduate studies in Bible and Theology at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She then went on to obtain her doctorate in School and Child Clinical Psychology. Ariane’s writing is inspired by her faith, daily life experiences and education. More of her work can be found at medium.com/@sroubek.ariane and at https://mysustaininggrace.com.
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