As the world gathers in Rome for the 44th Session of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference, Pope Leo XIV has delivered a powerful message calling on humanity to end the “scandal of global hunger” and to rediscover the Gospel call to feed the hungry not through hoarding, but through sharing.
In his message to the participants of the FAO’s 80th anniversary conference, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s unwavering commitment to the cause of food security, invoking the example of Christ who fed the multitudes. “We realize that the true miracle accomplished by Christ was to show that the key to defeating hunger lies more in sharing than in greedily hoarding,” Pope Leo said, according to the Vatican’s summary of his remarks.
The Pope’s words come at a time of growing concern over the weaponization of hunger in modern conflict zones. “We are now witnessing, with deep sorrow, the inhumane use of hunger as a weapon of war,” he warned. “Starving civilian populations is a very cheap way to wage war.” According to the Pope, this cruelty is compounded by the changing nature of warfare, where civilian populations, rather than armies, bear the brunt of suffering as armed groups burn crops, block humanitarian aid, and destroy livelihoods.
These injustices are not only the result of war. Political instability, economic breakdown, and climate change all contribute to the growing crisis. “Political crises, armed conflicts, and economic disruptions play a central role in worsening the food crisis,” Pope Leo said. “They hinder humanitarian aid, undermine local agricultural production, and deprive people not only of access to food, but also of the right to live a life of dignity and opportunity.”
In response, the Pope called on the international community to act decisively and to hold accountable those who cause famine and suffering. He also issued a moral challenge to the world: to replace selfishness and indifference with solidarity and mutual understanding. Only through peace and stability, he emphasized, can resilient agrifood systems be built.
The Holy Father also warned that climate change is deeply connected to the food crisis, and that a just ecological transition is needed—one that prioritizes both the environment and the human person. “The social injustice caused by natural disasters and biodiversity loss must be reversed,” he stated, “to achieve a just ecological transition, one that places both the environment and people at the center.”
Pope Leo lamented that resources and technologies are being wasted in the production of arms rather than being used for the common good. “As a result, questionable ideologies are being promoted, while human relationships grow cold, corroding communion and driving away fraternity and social friendship,” he said.
He concluded by encouraging participants to be “artisans of peace, working for the common good,” urging them to move beyond “sterile rhetoric” and engage hunger and poverty with firm political will. “To achieve this noble goal,” he said, “I wish to assure you that the Holy See will always serve the cause of harmony among peoples and will not grow weary of contributing to the common good of the family of nations, especially with regard to those most afflicted and those who suffer from hunger and thirst.”
In echoing the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, Pope Leo XIV has reminded the world that hunger is not merely a humanitarian issue—it is a test of our moral conscience, our willingness to share, and our resolve to build peace where there is none.
