Rome: In a compelling address at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Pope Leo XIV underscored the moral imperative of eradicating hunger, linking it directly to the pursuit of global peace. The visit, coinciding with World Food Day and the FAO’s 80th anniversary, highlighted the Holy See’s unwavering support for the agency’s mission to combat food insecurity and malnutrition worldwide.
Set against the historic backdrop of Rome’s Aventine Hill, the Caracalla Baths, and the Circus Maximus, the FAO headquarters stood as a symbolic microcosm of the global struggle against hunger. Addressing a distinguished gathering of UN officials, world leaders, and goodwill ambassadors, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that lofty ideals alone cannot alleviate human suffering. “Slogans do not lift people from misery,” he stated. “We must place the human person above profit and guarantee food security, access to resources, and sustainable rural development.”
Speaking in both Spanish and English, the Pope called hunger a profoundly human and moral challenge. “Whoever suffers from hunger is not a stranger,” he said. “He is my brother, and I must help him without delay.” He reminded attendees that even eighty years after the FAO’s creation, millions continue to face food shortages and malnutrition, framing it as a collective moral failure.
Citing current statistics, Pope Leo XIV revealed that over 673 million people go to bed hungry and 2.3 billion lack nutritious diets. “These are not abstract numbers but broken lives, mothers unable to feed their children,” he remarked, condemning what he called “an economy without a soul” that perpetuates inequity and suffering. He decried the use of food as a weapon of war, warning that such practices deny the most fundamental right the right to life.
The Pope also reaffirmed the ethical dimensions of politics and governance, echoing the concerns of his predecessor Pope Francis. He criticized food waste in a world where millions starve and urged leaders to confront “outrageous paradoxes” with renewed compassion. Reflecting this year’s World Food Day theme, “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind,” he called for collective action to ensure that food security becomes a universal right rather than a privilege.
Highlighting the role of women as “silent architects of survival,” Pope Leo XIV stressed their essential contribution to sustainable food systems, noting that recognizing their labor is both a matter of justice and a cornerstone for a more humane future. He further emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation, insisting that the voices of the hungry be heard and addressed directly.
Turning to global conflict zones, the Pope invoked compassion for the victims of hunger and violence in Ukraine, Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, Mali, the Central African Republic, Yemen, and South Sudan, insisting that the international community cannot remain indifferent. He concluded with a Gospel exhortation, quoting Jesus: “Give them something to eat” (Mk 6:37), framing it as a moral mandate for action.
“Do not tire of asking God,” he said, “for the courage and the energy to work for a justice that will yield lasting and beneficial results. You can always count on the solidarity of the Holy See and of the entire Church, which stands ready to serve the poorest and most disadvantaged throughout the world.”
The Pope’s address reaffirmed the enduring link between compassion, ethical governance, and sustainable development, urging nations, institutions, and individuals to act collectively to end hunger and foster global peace.