Pope Leo XIV joined hundreds of poor and homeless for lunch in the Vatican on World Day of the Poor, thanking Vincentians on their 400th anniversary and blessing guests with food, music, and gifts.
Newsroom (17/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) On the ninth World Day of the Poor, Pope Leo XIV spent his Sunday afternoon doing exactly what his predecessor Pope Francis had envisioned when he established the day in 2016: he sat down to eat with those who usually eat alone.
The pontiff made three unscripted appearances among the guests on November 16, 2025 — first at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens, then at the start of the main lunch in the Paul VI Hall, and finally as the meal concluded — greeting the poor in Italian, French, Spanish, and English, leading blessings, and insisting that “fraternity is life itself.”
At the grotto, where some guests had gathered before moving indoors, Leo XIV arrived smiling and immediately switched languages to match the nationalities he spotted. “Colombia? Peru? Entonces en español: ¡buenos días!” he called out, before offering a brief prayer of thanksgiving for “the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of brotherhood.” He asked God’s blessing on the food the guests were about to receive and on the sharing that would take place, then sent them off with a cheerful “Have a nice lunch!”
The larger lunch took place under the soaring roof of the Paul VI Hall, transformed for the day into a festive dining room. Tables were covered in white cloths; an orchestra and choir provided live music throughout the afternoon. The meal itself was provided through the generosity of the Vincentian Family, which this year celebrates the 400th anniversary of the birth of its founder, St. Vincent de Paul.
Leo XIV entered to warm applause and immediately asked for “a loud round of applause for Pope Francis,” crediting his predecessor with having “so desired” the World Day of the Poor. He thanked the priests, sisters, and lay Vincentian volunteers who serve the poor worldwide and noted that members of the Community of St. Vincent were personally waiting tables that afternoon.
Before anyone picked up a fork, the Pope again led a blessing: “Bless us, Lord, and these gifts we receive from your providence. Bless our lives, our brotherhood. Help us all to always walk united in your love.”
When the meal ended, Leo XIV returned once more. He praised the orchestra and singers (“Thank you, thank you for the music!”), reminded guests to take home the bowls of fresh Neapolitan fruit that decorated every table, and told them a small gift awaited each person at the exit.
Then, in a final gesture of gratitude, he publicly thanked the Vincentian superior general and Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner who organizes most Vatican charity initiatives. “Thank you, thank you, Your Eminence!” the Pope said, to laughter and applause.
He closed with a solemn blessing: “May God the Almighty Father bless you all and accompany you always,” making the sign of the cross over the entire hall before adding a lighter “Happy Sunday!” and waving as the guests began to leave.
The World Day of the Poor, marked each year on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, has become one of the signature initiatives of the post-2013 papacy. Francis instituted it at the close of the Year of Mercy; Leo XIV, ten years later, continues the tradition with evident personal enthusiasm, spending hours among those society often overlooks and repeatedly describing fraternity not as an ideal but as a concrete gift already received — and meant to be shared.
- Raju Hasmukh
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