Pope decries ‘moral imbalance’ prioritising war over humanitarian aid

‘Unprecedented global productive capacity exists alongside expanding zones of extreme vulnerability. The same forces that drive economic growth often exacerbate exclusion and marginalisation.’

Food, water and healthcare cannot be “subordinated to market considerations or geopolitical interests”, said Pope Leo XIV during a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations World Food Programme in Rome yesterday.

The Pope said we must “resist the commodification of basic human needs”, because “access to adequate food is a fundamental human right grounded in the dignity of every person”.

“Meeting this need not only alleviates suffering but also addresses underlying causes of geopolitical instability,” he stressed. “Indeed, food security is an essential component of global and integral security.”

The Pope praised the UN agency’s efforts to save lives in emergency situations and provide food assistance amid conflicts and natural disasters, which he said resonates with the Catholic Church’s mission to uphold human dignity and to foster fraternity.

He said it is no longer enough to confront hunger and malnutrition without also tackling the underlying structural causes that sustain them.

“Today, crises have evolved from isolated events into persistent realities, marked by prolonged conflicts, chronic food insecurity, economic volatility and growing climate vulnerabilities,” he said.

“This raises a fundamental question: what configuration of the global order is capable of producing, reproducing and, at times, normalising such conditions?

“The issue is no longer limited to how to intervene; rather, it extends to understanding why the system constantly produces the very problems it is then forced to correct.”

The Pope identified the “fragmentation” of the international order and the “crisis” of the multilateral system as key drivers of these crises.

“In the absence of a shared ethical horizon capable of sustaining genuine cooperation, the international system has shifted from multilateralism toward ‘a disorderly and conflict-ridden multipolarism with a prevailing sense of mistrust’,” he said, referencing Magnifica Humanitas.

“Consequently, states have increasingly allocated their resources towards national security, economic growth and domestic stability, disregarding the close link between these issues and multilateral cooperation.

“This trend reveals a striking paradox: unprecedented global productive capacity exists alongside expanding zones of extreme vulnerability.

“The same forces that drive economic growth often exacerbate exclusion and marginalisation. Although alleviating human suffering is widely recognised as essential in principle, humanitarian concerns increasingly risk being relegated to a secondary place among international priorities.”

Pope Leo warned against the “progressive bureaucratisation of solidarity” and the “quiet commodification of human life”, which mean that “the human person is no longer consistently placed at the centre of international action”.

He decried the prioritisation of weaponry and defence over humanitarian assistance: “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 consequences extend well beyond those immediately affected. More than merely a humanitarian concern, hunger erodes social cohesion, heightens the risk of conflict and fuels forced migration.

“It undermines the capacity of states and societies to build resilient institutions, provide effective education and foster sustainable economic development. In doing so, it perpetuates cycles of fragility that ultimately affect the broader international community.

“One of the things that people oftentimes do not realise is the cyclical progression that brings many parts of the world to greater and greater difficulty — that hunger is oftentimes a cause of conflict, and conflict causes more hunger.”

Pope Leo stressed that a renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation is essential: “In an increasingly fragmented and multipolar world, no single state can address global challenges alone.

“Lasting peace and integral, sustainable human development are possible only through the participation of all, fostered by genuine international dialogue and cooperation oriented toward the common good.

“Such an approach requires a firm political will capable of transcending short-term perspectives and investing in global public goods.”

He also encouraged the World Food Programme to continue working with the Catholic Church, which through parishes, dioceses, Caritas agencies, and other faith-based initiatives, often reaches vulnerable populations in areas inaccessible to international actors.

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