Pope Leo XIV lifts up his voice in prayer in a world in which millions of people do not have access to adequate food. His intention for the month of May, “That everyone might have food,” focuses on the most urgent challenges of our time: hunger and wasted food. Through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network’s “Pray with the Pope” campaign, the Pope invites the faithful and people of goodwill to join him each month in praying for the intentions he carries in his heart.
In his prayer, Pope Leo XIV sadly recognizes “that millions of brothers and sisters continue to suffer from hunger, while so many goods are wasted at our tables.” The Holy Father invites all believers to come to a new awareness: to learn to be grateful for each meal, to eat simply, and to share with joy, with the understanding that the fruit of the earth is a gift from God, “destined for all, not just a few.”
The Pope begs the Lord that communities might be capable of transforming “the logic of selfish consumption into a culture of solidarity, ”promoting concrete action such as “awareness campaigns, food banks, and a sober and responsible lifestyle.” His prayer concludes with a petition rooted in the Gospel: “May no one be excluded from the common table.”
A growing global food crisis
The most recent statistics from United Nations agencies paint a picture showing a growing crisis. According to the World Food Program’s2026 Global Outlook, 318 million people will face food crisis or even worse situations this year. The same agency warns that the conflict in the Middle East could push an additional 45 million people into facing dire hunger before the middle of this year. In 2025, two famines were simultaneously confirmed in parts of Gaza and Sudan—the first of this century.
The report entitled The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025, jointly published by the FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, estimated that 673 million people suffered from hunger in 2024 and that 2.3billion people had experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Around 2.6billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2024. FAO and the WFP also warn that throughout 2026, food insecurity will continue to worsen in at least16 countries and territories identified as hotspots.
This reality is even more scandalous when contrasted with the amount of food wasted globally. According to the UN Environment Program’s(UNEP) Food Loss and Reduction Program, more than 1 billion tons of food are wasted worldwide every year. In addition, food loss and waste contribute to a serious climate problem, accounting for between 8 and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is a global paradox that Pope Leo XIV places at the center of his prayer during the month of May.
Acting decisively before an injustice
The international director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Father Cristóbal Fones, emphasizes the importance of this prayer intention and the Pope’s personal connection to this cause. “This intention comes from the Pope’s heart. It pains him deeply that so many people in the world cannot access something as essential and human as food. This is why he is asking everyone not to remain indifferent but to take decisive action, first with prayer, then with concrete gestures of solidarity.”
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network wants to remind everyone that this intention is not just a call to contemplation, but to action. Pope Leo XIV is inviting every community to promote concrete initiatives such as food banks, awareness campaigns, and efforts to reduce domestic food waste, recognizing that food is “not an object of consumption, but is a sign of communion and care.”
Prayer for May
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord of creation,
You gave us the fertile earth and, with it, our daily bread,
as a sign of Your love and providence.
Today we recognize with sorrow
that millions of brothers and sisters continue to suffer from hunger,
while so many goods are wasted at our tables.
Awaken in us a new awareness:
that we learn to thank for every food,
to consume simply,
to share with joy,
and to care for the fruits of the earth as a gift from You,
destined for all, not just a few.
Good Father,
make us capable of transforming the logic of selfish consumption
into a culture of solidarity.
May our communities promote concrete gestures:
awareness campaigns, food banks,
and a sober and responsible lifestyle.
You who sent us Your beloved Son Jesus,
broken bread for the life of the world,
give us a new heart, hungry for justice and thirsty for fraternity.
May no one be excluded from the common table,
and may Your Spirit teach us to see bread
not as an object of consumption,
but as a sign of communion and care.
Amen.
