The pontiff visited the headquarters of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome on June 22.
Pope Leo XIV called on the United Nations (U.N.) to prioritize people in combating world hunger and said feeding the hungry is an essential part of peacemaking.
The pontiff visited the headquarters of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome on Monday. In his remarks, Leo emphasized the seriousness of world hunger, explaining that it often fuels other social challenges, particularly migration.
“More than merely a humanitarian concern, hunger erodes social cohesion, heightens the risk of conflict, and fuels forced migration,” Leo said. “In effect, conflicts are ‘fed’ more readily than people are nourished. This reality reflects not only operational shortcomings but also a fundamental imbalance in political and moral priorities.”
The Pope also stressed the importance of multilateral collaboration, stating that each state shares co-responsibility to “recognize the inherent God-given dignity of every person.” He also encouraged secular governments to be open to collaborating with the Catholic Church to assist the most vulnerable, recognizing their fundamental human right to adequate food.
“Access to adequate food is a fundamental human right grounded in the dignity of every person,” Leo remarked.
“The
