“Let no one be excluded from the common table.” This is the hope of Leo
In a world where millions of people do not have access to meals, the Pontiff’s oration – entitled “For nutrition for all” – draws attention to one of the most urgent challenges of our time: malnutrition and food waste.
«Today we recognize with pain – underlines Leo XIV – that millions of brothers and sisters still suffer from hunger, while so much food is wasted on our tables». Hence, the invocation for the Lord to awaken in humanity “a new conscience” to learn “to give thanks for every food, to consume with simplicity, to share with joy and to cherish the fruits of the earth” as a gift from the Father “destined for all, not just a few”.
In the intention of the Bishop of Rome, there is no lack of exhortation to “transform the logic of selfish consumption into a culture of solidarity”, so that communities promote “awareness campaigns, food banks, and a sober and responsible lifestyle”. The hope is that the heart of man is hungry, yes, but “for justice”, “thirsty for brotherhood” and that bread is not seen as a mere “consumer good”, but rather as “a sign of communion and care”.
The Pontiff’s prayer, explains the World Network in a note, fits into a context of particular urgency: according to the WFP 2026 Global Outlookpublished by the World Food Programme, “in 2026, 318 million people face crisis levels of hunger or even more severe situations.” And the current conflict in the Middle East “could push another 45 million people into acute hunger by mid-year.” Furthermore, during this year “acute food insecurity will continue to worsen in at least sixteen countries and territories identified as hotspots”.
“This reality – continues the note – is even more worrying when compared with global food waste: according to the Food Waste Index of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world wastes over a billion tonnes of food”, also causing “a serious climate problem”. In fact, food loss and waste generate “between 8 and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions”.
In this context, adds the international director of the Network, the Jesuit Cristóbal Fones, Leo XIV «invites everyone not to remain indifferent, but to act with determination, starting from prayer and through concrete gestures of solidarity». The intention for the month of May, in fact, “is not only an invitation to contemplation, but also to action”.
A pontifical work entrusted to the Society of Jesus, the Pope’s Global Prayer Network is present in over 90 countries and brings together a spiritual community of more than 22 million people, committed to collaborating every day in the mission of Christ. The Pope’s monthly prayer intentions therefore invite the faithful to focus on the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church.
