According to the Italian newspaper «LA STAMPA»:
Pope Francis is apparently thinking about writing an encyclical on poverty. The Bishop of Molfetta (Italy), Luigi Martella, broke the news which appeared in the latest issue of diocesan weekly Luce & Vita. Martella was recently received by the Pope on the occasion of his ad limina visit to Rome.Archbishop Oscar A. Romero spoke about the evangelical concept of poverty in his sermon of February 17, 1980:
Mgr. Martella outlined what he and Francis talked about during the audience, saying that the Pope “wanted to let him in on a secret, almost like a revelation.” “Benedict XVI is finishing off his encyclical on faith and Francis will be signing it,” the bishop wrote. “He intends to write his own – first - encyclical on poverty soon. It will be titled “Beati pauperes!”, poverty intended in an evangelical not in an ideological or political sense,” he pointed out.
Poverty is a spirituality, a Christian attitude and the soul’s openness to God. It is for this reason that [the Bishops' Synod at] Puebla stated that the poor are the hope of Latin America. They are the hope because they are the ones who are more open to receive God’s gifts. Thus Jesus says with great emotion: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. You are the ones most able to understand what is not understood by those who are on their knees before and trust in false idols. You who do not have those idols, you who do not put your trust in them because you have no money or power, you who are destitute of everything, know that the poorer you are, the more you possess God’s kingdom.
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