In his special message for World Day of the Poor this year, Pope Leo XIV reflects on God as “the refuge of the poor,” urging Christians to rediscover the central place of the poor and examine our commitment to justice, solidarity, and human dignity.
Do not allow the cry of the poor to be silenced.
Pope Leo XIV writes that “the consequences often fall first upon the poor, whose numbers continue to grow in many societies. The absence of God no longer places people side by side in mutual respect but places one above the other in a relationship of domination and oppression. The cry of the poor is often silenced through a multitude of increasingly subtle tactics while the digital world can worsen prejudice and reinforce indifference.
The poor have no choice but to cry out to God. They entrust themselves to Him, certain that they will be heard because God is faithful and rich in mercy. The poor are often more capable than others of recognising what is essential because they live on the essentials. For this reason, Pope Leo said, they are especially able to recognise God as their refuge and place their hope in His justice.
The poor of our day are the forgotten and the marginalised: robbed not only of bread, but also of a voice and a face. It is Jesus who offers bread and friendship; He brings light and opens a horizon of hope; He calls each person by name and restores dignity to all.”
Pope Leo goes on to stress that Christians are called not only to seek refuge in God, but also… “to be a refuge for the poor.”
“The Christian community cannot remain indifferent to the many who today stand at the door but remain invisible to those who are shut within their own walls,” he said.
In his appeal letter to parishioners this year, Archbishop Costelloe SDB writes, “My annual Christmas Appeal is the only occasion I take each year to directly ask you – our parishes, parishioners and members of the Western Australian community – to help support the important work of the Church’s welfare and social service agencies in this Archdiocese, and to respond compassionately to the plight of our brothers and sisters who are struggling in the community.
“As I officially launch my Christmas Appeal for LifeLink on the weekend of 7 and 8 November 2026, I ask you to please give generously to my appeal and help raise a minimum of $700,000 this Christmas. Let us rejoice in God’s love and be refuges for our brothers and sisters in need.”
The Archbishop has included a small gift of a prayer card with his appeal letter this year. He hopes that those who receive it will display it on their Christmas tree or somewhere prominent within their home.
“May it serve as a reminder of the Special Year of St Francis of Assisi, which we have just celebrated, and for us to be refuges for the poor, sharing God’s love with those who reach out to us,” said the Archbishop.
The Archbishop’s 2026 Christmas Appeal for LifeLink
will commence this weekend
in parishes throughout the Archdiocese.
Every parish is requested to show
at the end of each Mass this weekend,
31 October & 1 November 2026
a Video Message from the Archbishop.
This is in advance of the official appeal launch
which commences the weekend of
7 & 8 November 2026.