Vatican City: The Ninth World Day of the Poor unfolded inside the Paul VI Hall with laughter, music, and the unmistakable warmth of shared humanity as Pope Leo XIV joined 1,300 guests people battling poverty, displacement, and hardship for a communal lunch.
Neapolitan songs floated through the vast hall, blending with conversations from tables where strangers quickly became companions. Simple dishes vegetable lasagna, cutlets, fresh fruit from Naples, and soft babà formed the humble menu for the afternoon.
At one corner, a Missionary of Charity tirelessly tended to an infant, her own untouched plate slowly cooling, embodying the day’s spirit of self-giving love.
After leading the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo arrived to greet his guests, expressing admiration for Pope Francis, whose vision established the World Day of the Poor.
“This celebration was very dear to my beloved predecessor,” the Pope remarked, prompting a heartfelt applause.
He expressed gratitude to the Vincentian community, who had organized the meal with unwavering dedication. Before blessing the food, Pope Leo turned solemn, lifting his thoughts to the world’s suffering.
“Let us extend the Lord’s blessing to all who are wounded by violence, war, and hunger,” he said. “May our gathering today radiate true fraternity.”
Vincentian volunteers marking four centuries since the founding of their congregation moved briskly between tables, serving plates, offering smiles, and handing out personal-care kits. Each guest also received a small panettone, a sweet sign of holiday warmth.
People came from across Rome and far beyond: from the Italian suburb of Primavalle, from Nigeria and Ukraine, from Cuba, Barcelona, and Peru.
Among them were mothers sheltered by the Missionaries of Charity, finding temporary refuge as they navigate crises. One mother breastfed her infant quietly, her expression caught somewhere between exhaustion and hope.
At another table, a 60-year-old woman from southern Italy recounted losing her cafeteria job after developing a disability. “They told me I couldn’t manage anymore,” she said softly. “Life isn’t easy now, but dignity matters. You must keep smiling.”
Her experience reflected the stories many others shared lost employment due to factory closures, financial struggle after the death of loved ones, and the daily fight to survive with grace.
Yet hope kept surfacing. A volunteer from a Franciscan shelter in Assisi summed it up simply: “Life’s purpose is to serve. The poor are the Gospel in living form.”
Nearby, a Somali woman with a distinct Roman accent described her extraordinary journey arriving in Italy at age twelve, finding shelter with nuns, and receiving baptism from Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. Now facing a serious illness, she continues to joke and talk about her desire to work again.
A woman from Lviv shared that her cousins were on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.
“We go forward what else can we do?” she said, unsure if she would ever return home.
Artist Francesco Cardillo, known as Vardel, displayed his sketchbook filled with ink drawings.
“My home was taken from me in a scam,” he explained. “I’d like to sketch something for the Pope. I came here before with Pope Francis now there is a new Pope.”
Scouts, Caritas volunteers, religious communities, and laypeople filled the hall, forming a tapestry of solidarity. At the Pope’s table, a woman held a Pinocchio comic book, hoping to gift it to Pope Leo.
A young man from Côte d'Ivoire, not Catholic himself, said he felt instantly welcomed.
“None of that matters here,” he said. “It feels like home.”
Close by, women from Chiclayo, Peru, shared their struggles bereavement, illness, the long wait for public housing.
“Faith keeps us alive,” one woman said. “I thank God for people of goodwill.”
As the gathering drew to a close, Pope Leo rose once more, gesturing warmly toward baskets brimming with fruit from Naples. He encouraged everyone to take some home and to collect a small gift package on their way out.
In a hall filled with stories of hardship, resilience, and hope, the Pope’s simple invitation to eat, to share, to remember those who suffer became a powerful reminder of the Gospel lived in community.