Pope Leo: Usury ‘corrupts the human heart’ and enslaves the poor - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/pope-leo-xiv-audience-italy-anti-usury-council-sin-jubilee.html Pope Leo: Usury ‘corrupts the human heart’ and enslaves the poor Pope Leo XIV condemns usury as a grave sin that enslaves the poor and corrupts the human heart, he calls for a renewed commitment to justice and mercy and praises the Church’s anti-usury efforts as a sign of hope in the Jubilee Year. By Linda Bordoni Pope Leo XIV has denounced the practice of usury as a “grave sin” that destroys lives, families, and societies, calling it a “corruption of the human heart” that exploits the vulnerable and undermines human dignity. ****s Speaking to members of Italy’s National Anti-Usury Council on Saturday, the Pope thanked them for their thirty years of commitment to assisting victims of usury and promoting ethical economic practices. He warned that usury, both at the individual and global le...