When the white smoke rose and the world heard the name “Leo XIV,” I paused with prayerful hope. We did not yet know the contours of his papacy, but we felt something stirring. And now, with the early acts of Pope Leo unfolding before us, it has become clear: we are witnessing the emergence of a pontiff deeply committed to the very soul of the Gospel: justice, mercy, and radical love for the least among us.
At Father Joe’s Villages, where we have walked alongside our unsheltered neighbors for decades, Pope Leo has made it unmistakably clear that the measure of our faith is how we treat those who have nothing to offer us in return. In his first major address, he reminded the church that we must do more than offer charity. We must pursue justice.
That means standing not just for those marginalized communities, but with them. There’s a deep difference. Charity may keep someone alive. Justice helps them thrive.
In San Diego, the crisis on our streets is impossible to ignore. Homelessness has reached historic highs. People are sleeping in tents steps from glittering skyscrapers. Children go to school without a stable place to call home. Mental illness, substance use and the lack of affordable housing all feed a vicious cycle. They are not just statistics: they are neighbors.
Pope Leo calls on all of us — governments, churches, citizens — to recognize that these crises are not accidental. They are the result of choices: in policy, in budget priorities, in how we define success. He challenges the church not to be content with comfort but to become “a field hospital for the wounded.” That imagery resonates with our daily work at Father Joe’s Villages, where we offer shelter, medical care, meals and support but most importantly, dignity.
He insists that the Gospel compels us toward the hard work of speaking the truth to power. I agree.
His example inspires us here in San Diego to recommit to the critical task of ending homelessness. Not managing it. Not criminalizing it. Ending it. That means providing housing, shelter, jobs, health care, behavioral health services, substance use care, education and, most of all, community.
At Father Joe’s Villages, we know this kind of transformation is possible. We’ve seen families reunited. Children smile again in classrooms instead of shelters. But we can’t do it alone. It takes political courage, moral clarity and community willpower.
That’s why I hope our local leaders — elected officials, business leaders, faith communities — listen. Pope Leo speaks a truth we all need to hear: that a society is only as strong as how it treats its most vulnerable.
To my fellow Catholics: let this papacy not just inspire us but challenge us. The Eucharist we celebrate each week drives us to pour ourselves out for others. Let’s be known not just for what we believe, but how our relationship with God transforms how we love one another. Let’s be a church that walks into the tents, the shelters, the alleyways to accompany in our common humanity.
Pope Leo reminds us that hope is not sentimental. It’s gritty. It shows up in every housing placement, every job training session, every life rebuilt. Hope doesn’t deny suffering. It moves through it with compassion and courage.
In the eyes of God, there are no outsiders. There are only brothers and sisters, waiting to be embraced. It’s about neighbors helping neighbors.
Let’s build a San Diego, and a church, worthy of that vision.
Deacon Jim Vargas is president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Opinion: Pope Leo’s bold call to help the marginalized must be heard in San Diego )
Also on site :