Opinion: Pope Leo’s bold call to help the marginalized must be heard in San Diego

Pope Leo XIV appears on the central balcony of St Peter s Basilica at the Vatican to bless the crowd below on May Photo by Gregorio Borgia Associated Press 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 emergency on our streets is impossible to ignore Homelessness has reached historic highs People are sleeping in tents measures 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 consequence of choices in strategy 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 healthcare care meals and encouragement but the bulk 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 robustness care behavioral robustness services substance use care mentoring and greater part of all locality At Father Joe s Villages we know this kind of transformation is doable 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 society willpower That s why I hope our local leaders elected bureaucrats 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 of 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