The prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, is in the United Kingdom for the first time meeting with faith leaders.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, is undertaking his first official visit to the United Kingdom.
Running Oct. 16–22, the high-profile visit centers on the theme "Together in Prayer and Dialogue for Peace."
Koovakad's itinerary includes visits to London and Birmingham, featuring meetings with representatives from various faith traditions, including members of the Dharmic and Sikh communities.
The weeklong journey includes marking the 10th anniversary of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain and addressing seminarians to emphasize grassroots bridge-building.
The last official visit to the U.K. by the head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue took place in 2013, when Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran undertook a similar high-profile journey to engage with faith communities in Britain.
As Pope Leo XIV recovers at Rome's Gemelli Hospital following a successful surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, high-profile diplomatic initiatives like Koovakad's U.K. visit are vital for maintaining the Vatican's active global engagement and reinforcing the Holy See's continuous commitment to interfaith bridge-building and peace.
Speaking ahead of the trip, the cardinal stressed that interreligious dialogue remains a fundamental opportunity for Catholics to witness to their faith. He noted that fostering mutual understanding, respect, and enduring peace is a shared responsibility for all believers.
Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone while the pope remains hospitalized.
Pope Leo XIV and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone Oct. 16 while the pope remains hospitalized.
According to a Holy See statement, the pope expressed concern about Oleshky in the Kherson region, a city in the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine where a severe humanitarian crisis is underway and where, according to the United Nations, 1,700 people are trapped in what have become ghost towns because of ongoing attacks. The pope sought a truce to enable the arrival of food and medical aid and the voluntary and safe evacuation of the population, and he reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to dialogue and peace.
The conversation with the Russian president is the pope's first reported direct communication with a head a state since undergoing lung cancer surgery Oct. 13. The statement issued by the Holy See Press Office was brief and did not specify who initiated the call. It said: "Today, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV spoke by telephone with His Excellency Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation."
Besides calling for a ceasefire, the statement concluded by reaffirming "the Holy See's commitment to promoting dialogue and peace."
A Kremlin statement was more detailed. It said that, while expressing his sincere wishes for the pope's health and speedy recovery following his recent surgery, Putin emphasized "the importance of Russian-Vatican cooperation in promoting shared spiritual and moral values and protecting Christians and Christian holy sites in various regions of the world." Both sides reaffirmed their interest in continuing dialogue between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church.
The Kremlin also said that, during an exchange of views on Ukraine, "Vladimir Putin thanked the pope for his willingness to contribute to resolving the conflict and for his ongoing humanitarian efforts."
In addition, the Kremlin stated that, in response to the pope's concern for civilians in the Russian-held city of Oleshky in the Kherson region, Putin provided what it described as a detailed explanation of the responsibility of the Kyiv government for the area's humanitarian situation. It added that Putin supported the Vatican's intention to help create the conditions necessary to ensure public safety and organize the delivery of essential supplies. According to the Kremlin, cooperation toward that goal was agreed upon.
The Kremlin described the conversation as "constructive and conducted in a spirit of mutual respect."
Papal envoys
Putin's call followed visits in August to Russia by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher and later by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the pope's envoy for humanitarian affairs.
A source familiar with the organization of the Oct. 16 meeting said the conversation had been planned during Zuppi's trip to Russia at the end of September. This date coincided with the pope's hospital stay.
Leo XIV had previously spoken with Putin by telephone on June 4, 2025. According to Vatican News, that conversation focused on matters of mutual interest, with particular attention given to the war in Ukraine and prospects for peace. During the call, the pope urged Russia to make "a gesture fostering peace" and stressed "the importance of dialogue in establishing positive contacts between the parties and seeking solutions to the conflict."
Putin visited the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican three times for meetings with Pope Francis.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Australia's antislavery commissioner, Chris Evans, who has hailed the Catholic sector's work, wants large companies legally required to find and fix forced labor in their supply chains.
Australia's antislavery commissioner, who has hailed the Catholic sector as a national leader in fighting modern slavery, says proposed new penalties against forced labor do not go far enough.
Chris Evans demanded that large companies should be legally required to root out exploitation in their supply chains.
In a paper released Thursday, Evans estimated that Australia imports about $17.4 billion (AU$25 billion) worth of goods each year that may have been produced with forced labor, the Sydney Morning Herald reported Oct. 16.
The Catholic Church in Australia has made the issue a priority. Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher set up an antislavery task force to lead the Church's response to modern slavery in Australia, according to the archdiocese. The task force works on compliance with the Modern Slavery Act across the supply chains of Catholic schools, universities, welfare, and health and aged-care agencies as well as trains parish and agency staff to identify and support possible victims.
Speaking at a Sydney Catholic Business Network luncheon on Nov. 13, 2025, Evans praised the Catholic prelate.
He said the archbishop's "leadership on this issue has been exemplary," given his support for the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and his establishment of Domus 8.7.
"Through the Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network and Domus 8.7, the Catholic sector has become a national leader in implementing the Modern Slavery Act," Evans said at the time.
Under the 2018 act, large Australian companies must report risks of modern slavery in their operations and supply chains but have no legal obligation to address them. Evans wants to close that gap as part of a planned overhaul of the law.
The federal government announced in July that it would introduce a criminal offense for companies that fail to prevent modern slavery along with civil penalties for businesses that breach existing reporting rules.
"The government's announcement sends a clear signal that modern slavery is a serious crime and must be treated that way," Evans said.
His four-part proposal would place mandatory due-diligence obligations on large businesses and the federal government, set criminal penalties for serious wrongdoing, give victims the right to sue for compensation, and strengthen annual reporting.
"Australians don't want the clothes they wear or the food they eat to be made with forced labour," Evans said. "They expect government and business to take responsibility and action."
Business groups have pushed back. Minerals Council of Australia chief Tania Constable said there were better ways to address the issue than threatening executives with criminal penalties over other companies' actions, and the Business Council of Australia has also raised concerns, according to the Herald.
Pope Leo XIV has strongly spoken out against trafficking. In his message for the World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking on Feb. 8, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, the pope renewed "the Church's urgent call to confront and bring an end to this grave crime against humanity."
"Awareness enables us to identify the hidden mechanisms of exploitation in our neighborhoods and in digital spaces," he wrote.
The measure comes more than six years after the Diocese of Madison threatened to sue the local government of Dane County over its imposition of a 50-person cap on Mass attendance in 2020.
Voters in the Wisconsin midterm elections will decide whether to ban the local government from closing places of worship in a state of emergency, six years after a diocese threatened to sue over Mass restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ballot measure, titled "Prohibit Government Closure of Places of Worship During Emergencies Amendment (2026)," would alter Section 18 of Article I of Wisconsin's state constitution to include the sentence: "nor shall the state or a political subdivision of the state order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship in response to a state of emergency at the national, state, or local level, including an emergency related to public health."
"Although the Wisconsin Catholic Conference did not take a position on the constitutional amendment, we discussed possible changes with the authors," David Earleywine, executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, told EWTN News. Earleywine declined to elaborate on what changes were discussed.
"Religious liberty is the fundamental right to practice one's faith openly without fear or coercion. Pope Leo XIV recently said that it is the 'cornerstone of any just society,'" he said. "Freedom to gather for worship is only one important aspect of religious liberty and religious conduct, both of which extend beyond the four walls of a house of worship."
The measure comes more than six years after the Diocese of Madison threatened to sue the local government of Dane County over its imposition of a 50-person cap on Mass attendance in 2020.
Bishop Donald Hying of Madison told EWTN News at the time that "as bishop, it is my duty to ensure that our sacraments are available to the Catholic faithful, while following best practices when it comes to public health."
"Religious liberty enshrines freedom of conscience, the right to worship, and the right of religious organizations to serve the common good in the public square. A ballot initiative this fall speaks to that right," Hying said in his Oct. 15 column in the Madison Catholic Herald.
Similarly, in an Oct. 2 video message on voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Hying addressed the ballot initiative, saying: "There's a ballot initiative in Wisconsin this year that speaks about the importance of the primacy for houses of worship to remain open during potential future pandemics."
"We know that that right to worship, that religious liberty, is a foundational part of our Constitution but also our life as Christians," Hying said. "The Mass for us is everything."
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee declined requests for an interview or comment.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said an agreement is in effect for three years, restoring funding and requiring the charity to "maintain enhanced compliance and oversight measures."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has restored federal funding to the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) after suspending it last year over concerns about the charity's past recordkeeping for programs that provided services to asylum seekers and migrants.
In November 2025, the charity faced a potential six-year debarment based on concerns DHS identified after a review of CCRGV's administration of several federal programs, including the Federal Emergency Management Administration's Emergency Food and Shelter program and its Shelter and Services Program.
CCRGV received approximately $16.2 million in federal grant awards from the DHS for fiscal year 2024, its last funded cycle before the program ended. The money came through FEMA's Shelter and Services Program in two rounds: $7,421,965 in the April 2024 and an additional $8,788,186 that September, according to figures released by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, whose district includes part of the Rio Grande Valley.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of CCRGV, said in February 2025, however, that the organization left much of the fiscal year 2024 money undrawn as the number of migrants arriving at its McAllen respite center fell to nearly zero after President Trump took office.
In an interview with EWTN News, Pimentel said that after DHS had reviewed the organization's records, "there was a percentage of incorrect data" that had been entered by staff who were "inputting, registering, and taking down [immigrants'] information."
She said that previously, a large influx of immigrant families "were arriving on a daily basis," and "100% of them were brought to us by the U.S. Border Patrol."
DHS told EWTN News that it had found "deficiencies in grant-related recordkeeping, data accuracy, and internal controls," including missed deadlines and inaccuracies in migrant intake data.
In a statement she made concerning the matter last November, Pimentel said: "I take very seriously every single dollar entrusted to us," adding that CCRGV was "committed to compliance with federal grant requirements" and would "work expeditiously with DHS to resolve this matter."
Pimentel, a sister of the Missionaries of Jesus, said that after a meeting with DHS this past spring, the federal agency "notified us that the debarment was lifted as long as we proceeded to follow through with our commitment to report how we were using the funding in the future" in order "to make sure that those errors would not happen again."
DHS said the matter was resolved this past May through an administrative agreement that remains in effect for 36 months and requires CCRGV to "maintain enhanced compliance and oversight measures."
"Failure to comply may result in further administrative action, including suspension or debarment," DHS said.
In its November 2025 letter to CCRGV obtained by Fox News, DHS Acting General Counsel Joseph Mazzarra told Pimentel that "regardless of whether these problems stem from gross mismanagement or an affirmative intent to facilitate lawlessness, this pattern must end."
Pimentel told EWTN News that "the good thing about funding being restored is that we receive funding for many reasons, not just for immigrants," including "for emergency assistance for our communities, one of the poorest areas in the United States."
She said that though the flow of immigrants has stopped, the agency still materially aids many individuals and families in the Rio Grande Valley.
"No matter how limited we are in resources, even when we can barely make it, we are still wanting to help our neighbor that is struggling," Pimentel said. "It's so important that you don't hold back from doing what's good."
The tragedy that claimed the lives of three students has prompted an outpouring of pastoral care and community support across the state.
Oregon's Catholic bishops are urging prayer after a shooting Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, which left five people dead — including three young children — and two critically wounded.
According to Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz, a 16-year-old forced his way into the elementary school by shooting through locked doors before opening fire inside. The gunman killed three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, alongside a teacher before he was shot and killed at the scene by a bystander who had spotted him entering the building. A 7-year-old student and another teacher were rushed to a local hospital with critical injuries.
A teacher who was in a classroom on campus during the entire ordeal, Kathy Sheil Smith, spoke with CNN affiliate KPTV on Thursday night, saying of the students: "They were so afraid. The looks on their faces was really hard to see."
Speaking to what occurred on the ground, she saw the shooter enter the school from her classroom window. After alerting the main office, she moved her students to a corner of the classroom to shelter in place. "Some kids were praying; some kids were consoling other kids," Smith said.
As shots were heard across the school, she said some teachers imagined they wouldn't make it out alive.
"I'm sure that every teacher at the school thought, 'Today is the day that I am going to die,'" she said through tears.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of pastoral care and community support across the state, with hundreds attending a candelight vigil Thursday night.
"We expect that our schools are safe places for our children and all who pass through their doors. When a tragedy like this occurs, it shakes us to our core," wrote Bishop Thomas Hennen of the Diocese of Baker — which encompasses the city of Bend — in a letter offering his "heartfelt prayers for those whose lives were taken in the shooting."
Acknowledging the overwhelming wave of emotions confronting the city, Hennen pointed to faith, solidarity, and action as the path forward.
"It is only natural that we would be flooded with emotions at a time like this — shock, grief, fear, confusion, anger," Hennen wrote. "Even as more is known about what happened, there are no adequate answers for why this happened. We can only mourn, support each other, and pledge ourselves to doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future."
The prelate said the entire "Catholic community of central and eastern Oregon mourns with the families of the victims, the Silver Rail community and the city of Bend."
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, emergency responders transported surviving students and staff by bus to a nearby church, where families and guardians were reunified with their loved ones.
Speaking at an evening media briefing, Krantz noted that law enforcement notified all victim families and that an active, thorough investigation remains underway.
Local officials and state leaders emphasized the need for communal healing, counseling, and mutual support in the days ahead.
"In the coming days, there will be opportunities to gather, including a community vigil tonight, to mourn together, honor those affected and those lost, and begin the difficult process of healing," Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler said.
At the state level, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek confirmed that the Department of Emergency Management is actively coordinating resources to assist the local community.
"We must come together and support each other, neighbor to neighbor, Oregonian to Oregonian," Kotek said.
Crisis counselors have also been mobilized across the school district to help students and families.
Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland also issued a statement, offering spiritual closeness to the grieving families and the broader community.
"No family should ever have to experience such fear and heartbreak. Please know that you are not alone," Sample said. "I hold you close in prayer, and the Church stands with you in this time of sorrow."
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
Despite threats of violence and restrictions placed on some Christian communities, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria is encouragging missionaries to be unafraid.
ABUJA, Nigeria — Catholic missionaries in Nigeria have been encouraged to persevere in proclaiming the Gospel despite the threat of attacks and restrictions that prevent some Christian communities from acquiring land and building churches.
In an Oct. 13 interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, the national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Nigeria, Father Solomon Patrick Zaku, described the challenges facing evangelization in the West African nation and urged missionaries to draw strength from their faith in Christ.
"Even though we are facing challenges, those who want to go on a mission or those who want to preach the good news should not give up or be discouraged, but they should go," he said.
"In Nigeria today, we have the security challenge. Insecurity is almost in every part of this country," he said.
"When people are going for mission animation, trying to go to places to preach the good news, they are afraid of what will happen in the next place because either on the road they can be attacked or in their places of worship they can experience attacks," he added.
The national director also lamented restrictions that prevent Christians from acquiring land or building churches in certain locations, leaving some communities traveling long distances to worship.
"Church is supposed to be where people are living, but in many places, people don't have a comfortable place to worship, and they have to go to a very far place," he said.
Drawing on St. Paul's teaching that nothing can separate believers from the love of Christ, Zaku encouraged prospective missionaries who fear for their safety because of reports of kidnappings and killings.
"Know that Jesus is with you," he told missionaries serving in Nigeria. He assured them that anyone who dies bearing witness to Christ, even while preaching the good news, will "definitely receive his reward."
Reflecting on the centenary of World Mission Sunday, the priest described the occasion as an opportunity to thank God for a century of prayer, financial contributions, and practical assistance to missionary territories. He credited Pontifical Missions Societies support with helping sustain the Church and education in Nigeria.
Zaku said the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had directed that World Mission Sunday collections be sent to the Pontifical Missions Societies fund to support missionary territories beyond Nigeria.
"The Church in Nigeria, too, is not only a receiving Church but also a giving Church," he said.
"My message to all Catholics and Nigerians in particular as we celebrate World Mission Sunday is for them to know that you are not alone, but we are together on this mission. We are praying for you," he added.
In a separate interview at the same event, the national coordinator of Nigeria's Young Missionary Movement, Peter Oluwasanmi Adubi, said the movement was strengthening missionary formation and catechesis to help young people understand that their Christian calling extends beyond attending church services.
"We try to intensify what we call the missionary communion, missionary catechesis, and all that, to make sure that they are not just young people like others; they are special people called to be missionaries through their life, through their actions, and through their prayer," he said.
Adubi also emphasized that those who cannot travel to evangelize can support others who do.
"There is a saying that some give to the mission by going, while others go to the mission by giving. And without both, there is no mission," he said.
Addressing concerns about social media and other distractions affecting young people's commitment to their faith, he called on the Church to listen to them and provide opportunities for them to contribute their talents.
"Firstly, we encourage the Church to be a place where they listen to young people. Young people have enormous needs, and there are a lot of things that threaten them, especially when it comes to media," he said.
Adubi called for a media team in each parish where young people can volunteer and participate in the Church's mission. He said such opportunities could help them use their interest in digital technology to spread the Christian message.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
The Vatican secretary of state also said Thursday that the pontiff may have to "adjust his pontificate if it becomes necessary."
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said on Thursday that Pope Leo XIV, still hospitalized after surgery, may have to "adjust his pontificate" to his doctors' advice, including his November trip to Latin America, if necessary.
Parolin, as reported by Ansa.it, spoke on the sidelines of the launch of the Iraqi Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two sovereign states.
The pontiff was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a lung nodule. Since his surgery, his doctors and the Vatican have confirmed that his postoperative recovery "is progressing normally."
Parolin, who praised the pope for his "great serenity" on Monday, told reporters on Thursday that he imagined Leo's Latin America trip would proceed but that it now depends on his doctors.
"[The trip] will depend on how things go," Parolin said. "Let us wait until he leaves the hospital and, based on what the doctors tell us, see whether he will be able to travel. We must wait."
Parolin also said that while predictions for the future of Leo's pontificate were premature, his condition upon returning may require him to adjust his papacy.
"Based on all these elements, the pope will also adjust his pontificate if it becomes necessary to do so," Parolin said.
"We need to see when he returns, in what condition he returns, and what the doctors will say."
The pope's postoperative recovery is expected to last one week, allowing him to resume audiences on Oct. 20.
Vatican sources also indicated that the pope will publicly lead the Angelus this Sunday, although it has not yet been determined whether it will be from the hospital or the Vatican.
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Gemelli Hospital on Friday after undergoing surgery Oct. 13 for a cancerous tumor in his right lung.
In two photographs released by the Vatican, the first since his hospitalization, the Holy Father can be seen standing and wearing the green liturgical vestments used during this period of the liturgical year.
In one image, he appears with his hands joined in prayer; the other was taken during the consecration and shows the pope's secretary at his right side.
Vatican sources said that the pope distributed Communion during the Eucharistic celebration. In previous days, the Vatican had specified that the pontiff had only concelebrated Mass with his collaborators.
Members of the hospital's medical and nursing staff, and gendarmes responsible for the pope's security, were also present at the pope's Mass on Friday.
"In his homily, the pope thanked all healthcare personnel — doctors, nurses and nursing assistants — for the work they carry out every day caring for the sick and for those in fragile conditions, and in particular for everything they have done and continue to do for him," the statement released by the Holy See Press Office said.
In the medical bulletin released Friday, Oct. 16, the Vatican also confirmed that the pontiff's clinical condition continues to improve.
The statement published by the Holy See and prepared by the pope's personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who performed the operation, Stefano Margaritora, notes that the Holy Father "underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray, the results of which confirmed the steady improvement in his overall condition."
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 16, 2026, where he was admitted four days prior for surgery to remove a tumor from his right lung. | Credit: Vatican Media
Respiratory physiotherapy sessions also continued. The doctors further specified that his "favorable postoperative recovery allows him to carry out his normal daily activities with complete autonomy."
Vatican sources also indicated that the pope will publicly lead the Angelus on Sunday, although it has not yet been determined whether it will be from the hospital or the Vatican.
All appointments on Leo XIV's schedule through Oct. 20 have been canceled, though the Vatican has not ruled out the possibility that he could be discharged before then. For now, doctors have not changed the timeline for his release from the hospital, which is expected to be next Tuesday.
Letters from children hospitalized at Gemelli
Children hospitalized in the oncology department of Gemelli Hospital send drawings and letters to Pope Leo XIV as he recovers from surgery to remove lung cancer on Oct. 16, 2026. | Credit: Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital
On Friday, the pope also received several letters in his hospital room from young patients receiving treatment in the pediatric oncology department of the same hospital. In them, the children share their personal experiences and assure him of their prayers.
Among the letter writers was Angelo, a 7-year-old boy who has been hospitalized for 36 days and who found in writing a way to reach out to the pontiff.
The child, from Taurisano in the Italian province of Lecce, explained in his letter that he is also hospitalized on the 10th floor and has undergone head surgery. "My mom and I pray for you every night," he wrote, before wishing him "a speedy recovery." He included a drawing featuring a large yellow sun and several birds flying over a meadow.
'Faith moves mountains'
Maria Graziela, the mother of Eleonora, also wanted to send a message of hope. Her daughter, who was treated in the hospital's neurosurgery and oncology units, has now recovered.
"Faith moves mountains," her mother wrote, expressing her conviction that "God has heard our prayers." In her letter she added: "Pope Leo, our prayers are for you. May God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the guardian angels always protect you."
One of the letters sent to Pope Leo XIV by children hospitalized in the oncology department of Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 16, 2026. | Credit: Gemelli Hospital
'It is difficult to depend on others'
The letter from Giorgia, an 18-year-old young woman, explained how illness transformed her way of understanding life. Passionate about travel and accustomed to relying on herself, she acknowledged that "it has been difficult to go from depending solely on my own strength to having to depend on others."
However, the experience had also allowed her to discover the value of the care she has received, the love of her family and friends, and a new vocation. "If there is one thing I want to do in life, it is save other people's lives. I want to be like the doctors who are saving mine," she said.
She concluded her letter by promising that "I pray to God that we may both be healed, and I ask you to pray with me," and expressing her confidence that "better days will come." The young woman ended by assuring Pope Leo that "we are united in prayer, for ourselves and for all those who are going through the same situation."
This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
The pontiff, still hospitalized after surgery, sent a message for World Food Day on Friday.
Pope Leo XIV on Friday called world hunger a "terrible offense" against human dignity and emphasized that adequate food is a basic human right.
"It is a terrible offense against human dignity to prevent bread from reaching any person or to destroy the means by which it is produced," the pontiff wrote in a message published for World Food Day.
Still recovering from surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, Leo addressed his message to Qu Dongyu, director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). World Food Day, celebrated every year on Oct. 16 to highlight world hunger, also marks the organization's founding in 1945.
'World hunger remains due to lack of charity'
In his message, Leo lamented the challenge of world hunger and questioned how some can speak of technological innovation while food shortages persist.
"Hunger cannot be considered a statistical anomaly, for it is caused mainly by a lack of political will and collective charity," Leo said.
"Today, people speak of innovation with great confidence," Leo said. "However, this term is often used only in reference to the development of devices and algorithms, or the optimization of performance merely for the sake of financial gain."
A new global food order
According to FAO's annual report for 2025, an estimated 645 million people worldwide experienced hunger, mainly distributed across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. According to the same report, 35.5 million children were severely malnourished, and war remained the "primary driver of acute food insecurity and malnutrition."
Leo also said that food shortages should never be "used as a weapon of war" and encouraged the United Nations to work toward a "new global food order" in which technology ensures food for all.
"Regular access to safe, adequate and sufficient food, in keeping with the dignity of every person, is a basic human right," the pope wrote.
"A new global food order is essential — one in which technological innovation is unconditionally subordinated to respect for God-given human dignity and the universal common good."
The pope's remarks on world hunger follow his June visit to the headquarters of the World Food Programme in Rome, where he emphasized the need to focus on humanity to combat hunger worldwide.
