ICC following lead of Pope Leo XIV on prioritizing the poor

In the 2026 legislative season and beyond, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) has a new lens through which it can evaluate public policies that affect the poor: the first major document issued by Pope Leo XIV.

The American-born pope calls for prioritizing those in most need in the recently released “Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You),” the first apostolic exhortation of his pontificate. Begun by Pope Francis before his death, the document proclaims that “the poor are not a sociological category but the very flesh of Christ,” deserving of the utmost compassion and care.

For the ICC, which for nearly 60 years has been drawing on 2,000 years of Catholic social teaching in carrying out its work, “Dilexi Te” offers additional clarity and immediacy.

“This document provides us a wonderful framework with which we can view legislation as it relates to caring for the poor,” said Alexander Mingus, executive director of the ICC, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Indiana. “There’s a beauty in the way the document goes through the history of the Church’s love for the poor, identifying for us Catholics that love for the most vulnerable among us is a perennial commitment.”

Signed by Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 4 – the feast of St. Francis – “Dilexi Te” has already been a source of guidance for the ICC during this year’s short legislative session, which is now concluding. Mingus noted especially the pope’s emphasis on the Church’s long-standing “preferential option for the poor,” which demands that the needs of those in poverty take priority in economic and political decisions.

“There’s a deeper way that the Church and through this document Pope Leo is reminding us of this preferential option for the poor,” Mingus said. “When we make decisions, the poor must come first. It really turns our decision-making process in the modern day on its head, because the poor are not often thought of first. But that’s the kind of framework we want to carry into our work at the Indiana Catholic Conference as we’re evaluating public policy.”

A prime example in this year’s legislative session is Senate Bill 197, an affordability measure that sought to curb debt collectors from garnishing the wages of those struggling to make ends meet. Its author, Sen. Greg Walker (R-Columbus), said the bill was about “preserving enough of a person’s paycheck so they can pay the rent and buy food.”

“This is about stability and hope,” Sen. Walker told members of the Senate Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee when presenting the bill in January.

Mingus testified in favor of the measure, mentioning the recently concluded Jubilee Year of Hope in his remarks.

“We’re at the tail end of a longstanding tradition in Christian history, called a jubilee year,” he told lawmakers at the committee hearing. “Part of that, if you know the Old Testament, is forgiving debt. So I want to emphasize that as you’re considering this bill and (various) mechanisms – that you carry forward the spirit of the jubilee year.”

The ICC was joined by numerous allies in supporting Senate Bill 197, including the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute. While the bill passed the Senate, it never received a hearing in the House.

Another measure involving the most vulnerable in Indiana is Senate Bill 285, which is the most recent legislative attempt at prohibiting homeless encampments across the state.

Under the bill, law enforcement officials first encountering individuals sleeping or camping on public property would issue a warning and offer to connect them with local shelters and other resources. Repeat violations could result in a Class C misdemeanor, which carries a standard fine of $500 or up to 60 days in jail.

Opponents say that the measure would criminalize homelessness. But those backing the bill argue that the primary intent is to link the chronically homeless with essential services that could lead them to healthier and more stable lives.

After taking a mostly neutral stance, the ICC recently issued an action alert opposing Senate Bill 285, urging people to contact their lawmakers to vote “no” on the measure.

“We had seen some minor improvements to the bill, and we know there were some good intentions behind it,” Mingus said. “But ultimately, we came to the belief that this bill would do more harm than good.”

Senate Bill 285 passed out of that chamber in late January and at press time was awaiting further action in the House.

The ICC also has concerns about elements of a more wide-ranging measure, Senate Bill 1, which is a key priority for Republicans in this legislative session. The bill aims to reduce waste, fraud and abuse within the state’s Medicaid program as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps.

“What’s especially relevant for our work at the ICC in light of Pope Leo’s recent document is how we think about the poor in relation to the use of public funds and public programs,” Mingus said.

Among other provisions, Senate Bill 1 mandates rigorous verification of immigration status for all Medicaid and SNAP applicants. In addition, applicants who fail to verify their legal residence may face immediate referral to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Pope Leo XIV has criticized the immigration policies of President Donald Trump and called for the humane treatment of migrants. He has expressed particularly deep concern over the treatment of longtime residents of the United States who are undocumented and the separation of families in deportation actions.

In “Dilexi Te,” the pope summed up centuries of Catholic social teaching on the need to welcome and respect migrants.

“The Church, like a mother, accompanies those who are walking,” he wrote. “Where the world sees threats, she sees children; where walls are built, she builds bridges.

“She knows that her proclamation of the Gospel is credible only when it is translated into gestures of closeness and welcome. And she knows that in every rejected migrant, it is Christ himself who knocks at the door of the community.”

Mingus said the ICC recognizes the state’s need to ensure that its Medicaid and SNAP programs are functional and adequately funded. However, he said he believes Senate Bill 1 goes too far.

“In some areas, the bill is more stringent than that which is required by federal law,” he said. “And in many ways, it does not think of the poor first.”

To underscore the spirit of the issue, Mingus points to the words of Pope Leo XIV in the following excerpt from “Dilexi Te.”

“I am convinced that the preferential choice for the poor is a source of extraordinary renewal both for the Church and for society, if we can only set ourselves free of our self-centeredness and open our ears to their cry.”