ROME (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his prayer intention for May to one of humanity’s most persistent challenges: hunger.

In a video message released on April 30 by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, Pope Leo called on Catholics worldwide to confront the problem of food insecurity with both prayer and concrete action.

“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,” Pope Leo said in the video, recorded inside the Church of San Pellegrino in Vatican City.

Hunger affects hundreds of millions

At least 318 million people are expected to face food crisis conditions or worse this year, according to the World Food Program’s 2026 Global Outlook. The ongoing war in the Middle East could push an additional 45 million people into severe hunger before mid-year. In 2025, two famines were recorded in parts of Gaza and Sudan.

At the same time, the U.N. Environment Program reports that more than 1 billion tons of food are wasted globally every year, a contrast the Pope addressed directly in his message.

Pope Leo called for a shift away from what he described as “the logic of selfish consumption” and toward “a culture of solidarity,” urging Catholic communities to take up practical measures including food banks, awareness campaigns, and simpler, more responsible lifestyles.

“May our communities promote concrete gestures,” Pope Leo said, adding that believers should approach every meal with gratitude, consume simply and “share with joy” in the knowledge that the fruits of the earth are “destined for all, not just a few.”

Prayer network unites Catholics worldwide

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, also known as the Apostleship of Prayer, releases a prayer intention from the Pope each month as part of its mission to unite Catholics in prayer for the Church’s global concerns.

Father Cristóbal Fones, director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, said the intention is a deeply personal concern for the Pope.

“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,” Father Fones said. “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.”