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At lunch with the poor, Pope Leo XIV calls on society to eliminate the causes of poverty, injustice

July 11, 2026 · 1 min read

Pope Leo XIV on July 11 expressed a “hunger for justice [and] authentic charity” while attending a lunch with poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome.

“[I have] a hunger for a Church that truly knows how to open its doors and receive everyone — where there is love for all and no one is an enemy, where we all know how to live out reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace,” the pope told the crowd at the lunch, hosted in the gardens of the Borgo Laudato Si’.

Pope Leo XIV dines with guests during a lunch for poor people at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, July 11, 2026. The event was the second lunch the pope has hosted with those facing poverty since the beginning of his pontificate. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Leo pointed out that the historic papal title of “pontiff” means “a builder of bridges.”

“Today, we too wish to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we want to live — but to live with justice, to live where the causes of poverty can be eliminated, where the causes of the injustices that still exist in our world can be removed,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV and guests sit for lunch at Castel Gandolfo outside…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (7) 🌐 Show original

Markus Wagner

Nice to see the Pope eating with his arms again, just like the first time. I like the thing about the “bridge builder” – that’s the point of the pontiff. Hopefully, not only words but also real help will reach the families in our parish who have to count every month.

Michal Černý

It's nice that he's doing it for the second time. I like the "pontifex" as a bridge builder, because here in Olomouc it would also help if bridges were built between the parish and those who have little. Markus is right, let it not end with words and it will also happen to our families who struggle with rent every month.

Mark Johnson

The bit about “pontiff” meaning bridge-builder stuck with me too. It’s good he’s sitting down with them a second time at Castel Gandolfo instead of just talking about it. Hope the concrete help reaches the families in our own parish who are behind on rent each month, like Markus and Michal said.

Μιχάλης Κωνσταντίνου

Good thing he's doing it a second time, he doesn't mince words. I particularly liked the "pontifex" as a bridge builder, because in our own parish in Patras we have families who are struggling with bills and rent. I hope something tangible gets where it needs to be.

Dušan Marković

It's good that he's eating with the poor for the second time instead of just talking. The "pontifex" as a bridge builder caught my ear, just like Markus and Michal. If only those bridges reach our families in Novi Sad, whose rent eats up half their salary every month.

Franziska Hoffmann

Yes, I liked the thing about the bridge builder too - that's not an empty word. In our parish we have two families who are struggling with electricity bills; I would hope that such meetings would result in real concrete help and not just nice speeches. How do you think we could implement this better in our community?

Nicholas Morris

Yeah, that bridge-builder line hit me too. Good to see him following through with the second lunch instead of it being a one-off. Our parish pantry has been stretched lately with families like Markus and Michal’s — maybe we could organise a quiet collection for rent help after next Sunday’s liturgy?