Standing before diplomats, UN officials, and humanitarian leaders at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) 80th anniversary celebration in Rome, Pope Leo XIV delivered a message as urgent as it was compassionate: defeating hunger is not only an economic or political task—it is “a profoundly human and moral duty,” according to Vatican News.
A Moral Imperative
Pope Leo XIV reminded the international community that hunger is “a moral wound that afflicts the whole human family.” He condemned the global systems that allow millions to go without food, describing it as “a collective moral failure and a historical fault.”
The Pope noted that despite decades of progress, “over 673 million people go to bed hungry and 2.3 billion lack a nutritious diet,” emphasizing that these are not mere statistics but “broken lives and mothers unable to feed their children,” according to Vatican News.
“Whoever Suffers from Hunger Is My Brother”
Delivering his remarks in both Spanish and English, the Holy Father drew on the Gospel’s call to fraternity and mercy. “Whoever suffers from hunger is not a stranger,” he said. “He is my brother, and I must help him without delay.”
Pope Leo XIV made clear that empty rhetoric and declarations are not enough. “We cannot be content with proclaiming values; we must embody them,” he said. “Slogans do not lift people from misery. We must place the human person above profit and guarantee food security, access to resources, and sustainable rural development.”
Condemning the Use of Food as a Weapon
The Pope expressed alarm over the weaponization of food in modern conflicts. “Food must never be a weapon,” he said, describing starvation tactics as a “cruel strategy that denies men, women, and children their most basic right — the right to life.”
He lamented that the United Nations Security Council’s past condemnation of starvation as a war crime “seems to have faded.” The silence of those who die of hunger, he said, “cries out in the conscience of humanity.”
The Ethics of Abundance
In an age where food waste persists alongside starvation, Pope Leo XIV challenged nations to reject what he called “an economy without a soul.” Echoing his predecessor, Pope Francis, he warned that “to throw food away means to throw people away.” He urged world leaders to end “outrageous paradoxes” and “awaken from the lethargy that dulls our compassion.”
“Water Is Life, Water Is Food”
Tying his message to this year’s World Food Day theme — “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.” — the Pope said the slogan calls for “unity through cooperation.” “At a time marked by division and indifference,” he said, “only by joining hands can we build a future in which food security is a right, not a privilege.”
He also highlighted the critical role of women in sustaining life and communities. “They are the silent architects of survival, the first to sow hope and the careful stewards of creation,” he said. “Recognizing their contribution is not only a matter of justice but a guarantee of a more humane and lasting food system.”
A Call to Action
Pope Leo XIV concluded with a Gospel command that transcends time: “Give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37). This call, he said, “remains a pressing challenge for the international community.”
“Hunger is not humanity’s destiny but its downfall,” he declared. “Do not tire of asking God for the courage and the energy to work for a justice that will yield lasting and beneficial results.”
According to Vatican News, the Pope assured the FAO and all who labor to end hunger of the Church’s continued support: “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.”
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