As secularism threatens to grow more potent with each passing day, Pope Francis’s latest encyclical, Dilexit nos, offers a profound response. By re-proposing the Sacred Heart devotion as a path to spiritual revitalization, the Pope is calling on the Church and its members to embrace a tradition that connects us to God’s love in an especially intimate and transformative way. This editorial explores the timeless relevance of the Sacred Heart and its potential to combat the forces of secularization, especially in a world that appears increasingly distant from spirituality and divine connection.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart—a tradition dating back to the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century—symbolizes the boundless love and mercy of Jesus Christ. It is a love expressed in human terms, a divine compassion made tangible, yet, as Pope Francis emphasizes, the devotion goes beyond merely venerating the “heart” of Jesus as an anatomical symbol. Instead, it invites us to encounter the entire person of Jesus, embracing His humanity and divinity in a union of affection and reverence. This devotion, then, does not simply exist as a relic from another age but rather remains a vital spiritual practice meant to soften the hearts of believers, encouraging them to live out God’s love in a world that often appears hostile to it.
Pope Francis is keenly aware that secularism in the 21st century is more than just a growing indifference toward religion. It is a comprehensive worldview that actively seeks to relegate spirituality and moral principles to the margins, often with an aggressive insistence on self-sufficiency and material success as ultimate goals. For those striving to live in faith, this secularization threatens to diminish the place of God in daily life, turning religious practices into mere rituals rather than genuine expressions of a living relationship with God. In this context, the Sacred Heart devotion stands as a counter-cultural act, calling the faithful to an intimate connection with Christ that defies the secular emphasis on self-reliance and materialism. It is a reminder that in a world focused on the surface, there is an enduring need for depth—depth that comes from a loving connection to the Divine.
In Dilexit nos, the Pope connects the revival of this devotion with the broader mission of the Church: to serve as a bridge between God and humanity. He stresses that the Sacred Heart devotion is particularly significant for confronting what he calls “a powerful wave of secularization.” Just as this devotion once combated the rigid and austere Jansenism, which emphasized human unworthiness over God’s mercy, it now stands as a response to modern secularism’s attempt to create a society free of God. By focusing on the Sacred Heart, believers are called back to the core of their faith—a relationship with Jesus rooted in compassion, mercy, and love. This is no mere intellectual exercise but a true heart-to-heart encounter that can restore meaning in the lives of people who have become weary of secular pursuits.
Pope Francis’s emphasis on practices like Eucharistic adoration and monthly Communion aligns with his desire to rekindle a personal and communal experience of God’s love. Such practices provide a rhythm that punctuates daily life, grounding believers in a tradition that is not archaic but alive and relevant. The Pope envisions a world where, through devotion to the Sacred Heart, individuals encounter Christ’s love in a way that renews their purpose and reinforces their faith. He suggests that this is not only essential for personal renewal but also for the Church’s role as a moral and spiritual guide in a secular world.
Ultimately, the Sacred Heart devotion reminds believers that love is the most profound form of resistance against secular apathy. Pope Francis argues that this devotion cultivates a deep empathy that transcends the individual and reaches out to the whole of humanity, encouraging Catholics to recognize the dignity of every person and to act with compassion in their communities. In this way, devotion to the Sacred Heart not only strengthens personal faith but also fuels social engagement, bridging the gap between individual spirituality and societal responsibility.
As Pope Francis rightly concludes, the Church needs this love “lest the love of Christ be replaced with outdated structures and concerns.” He implies that a rigid or bureaucratic Church disconnected from the love at its core risks irrelevance. In contrast, a Church invigorated by the Sacred Heart devotion can withstand secularization, not by resisting the world but by engaging it with a love that is rooted in Christ’s heart. For those willing to embrace this path, the Sacred Heart devotion offers a timeless invitation: to transform our hearts and, in turn, to transform the world.
