The Lecture Hall of the Faculty of Law at the University of Seville hosted the 5th Conference on Human Rights and the Social Doctrine of the Church, centred on the theme “Dilexi te: love for the poor”. The event – organised by the Department of Philosophy of Law in conjunction with the Faculty of Theology Saint Isidore of Seville, through its Chair of Canon and Ecclesiastical Law – brought together specialists from various disciplines for an interdisciplinary reflection on poverty from a Christian perspective.
The conference opened at 9.30 am with addresses by various academic and ecclesiastical authorities. Among them were the deans of the Faculty of Law, Fernando Llano Alonso, and of the Faculty of Theology Saint Isidore of Seville, Manuel Palma Ramírez; the director of the Department of Philosophy of Law, Alfonso de Julios Campuzano; as well as representatives of the university pastoral ministry and the co-directors of the event. This opening ceremony set the conference within the context of dialogue between law, theology and social and ethical commitment, emphasising the centrality of human dignity in the tradition of the Church’s Social Doctrine.
The first academic session (10:00–10:45) was devoted to the relationship between ecclesial tradition and theological innovation in the document *Dilexi te*. The opening address, delivered by Manuel Palma Ramírez, and the presentation by Jesús Ignacio Delgado Rojas, examined how the Church’s social teaching, in continuity with its tradition, is adapted to meet contemporary challenges. The historical dimension of social doctrine was highlighted as a living corpus which, from Leo XIII to the present day, responds to new forms of poverty and exclusion (cf. Rerum novarum, 1891).
The second session (10:45–11:30) addressed the issue from a fundamental theological perspective. Álvaro Román Villalón and David Sánchez Rubio explored the Christological dimension of love for the poor, emphasising that the preferential option for the poor is not an extrinsic element, but rather constitutive of the mystery of Christ. The reflection highlighted the Gospel identification between Christ and those in need (cf. Mt 25), thus linking theology and social practice.
Following a break, the third session (12:00–12:45) focused on the development of the Church’s social teaching. Manuel Dana Nuevo and Álvaro A. Sánchez Bravo presented a systematic overview of the Church’s magisterial documents on poverty, highlighting principles such as the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity. It was emphasised that Social Doctrine does not constitute a closed economic theory, but rather a set of ethical guidelines for the organisation of social and political life.
The fourth session (12:45–13:30) explored the biblical roots of the commitment to the poor. Isaac Moreno Sanz and Carlos López Bravo demonstrated how Sacred Scripture expresses a constant concern for the marginalised, from the social legislation of the Old Testament to the preaching of Jesus. This biblical dimension helped to understand the option for the poor as a structural element of revelation.
The day concluded with a speech by Iván Parrilla y Rojas, who emphasised the importance of such academic forums in fostering a culture of dialogue between faith, reason and social commitment. The closing session highlighted the need to continue exploring the Church’s Social Teaching as a tool for addressing the contemporary challenges of inequality and exclusion. The programme of the conference provided a comprehensive overview of poverty, understood as a theological framework from which Christian conscience and public action are challenged.
