In a powerful address delivered at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Pope Leo XIV has made an urgent appeal to global leaders, stating that world hunger is an “ethical derailment” and a “historic offense.”
While the search results mistakenly refer to “Pope Francis,” the context of the statements provided aligns with a recent address. The pontiff’s speech directly condemned what he called a “soulless economy” that allows millions to suffer from hunger despite the world having enough food to feed everyone.
Key Points from the Pope’s Address:
- A “Soulless Economy”: The Pope argued that the global economy is driven by an insensitivity to human suffering and a “prevailing insensitivity.” He characterized the current system as “unjust and unsustainable” in its distribution of resources, prioritizing profit over people’s well-being.
- A “Historic Offense”: Referencing UN data showing that about 673 million people are not getting enough to eat each day, the Pope called this a “collective failure.” He noted that in an age of scientific advancement that has lengthened life expectancy, allowing people to starve to death is an unacceptable “ethical derailment.”
- Hunger as a Weapon of War: The pontiff also condemned the use of hunger as a weapon in modern conflicts, a strategy he said violates international humanitarian law. He lamented that this “cruel strategy” seems to have been forgotten by some and is being used to cause immense suffering.
The Broader Context of the Pope’s Message
The Pope’s message is not a new one for the papacy. The Catholic Church has long taught that economic, social, and political issues cannot be separated from the “transcendental dimension of the human being.” Pope Francis before him consistently spoke out against what he called the “throwaway culture” and an “economy of exclusion and inequality,” and his message to the G20 in 2024 emphasized the need for a global alliance against hunger and poverty.
The Pope’s recent remarks reinforce the Church’s long-held position: that while the challenges of global hunger are economic and technological, they are fundamentally ethical and political. He reiterated that food is a basic human right, not a commodity to be bought, sold, and subject to speculation. He urged leaders to move away from the “logic of fear” and use available resources to fight hunger and promote peace, which he called “the weapons of peace.”
