Ending Hunger with the Pope

On the eve of Yom Kippur and Pope Francis’ arrival to the United States, more than 100 Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faith leaders gathered at the National Press Club to participate in the Interfaith Religious Leaders Summit: End Hunger by 2030, hosted by Bread for the World. Participants shared a meal around tables as they reflected on their faith traditions around hunger and poverty, discussed how to best achieve a positive shift in U.S. national priorities by 2017, and publicly committed themselves and their faith communities to help end hunger by 2030.

The summit began with a reception during which everyone — from heads of churches to CEOs of faith-based organizations — shared introductions with new partners and reunited with old friends. Rev. Carlos Malavé of Christian Churches Together greeted everyone with a welcome.

“Tonight we come together as people of faith. If we gather together, as we are tonight, and we commit to each other in this task, we will certainly achieve everything that God is calling us to do,” he said.

Ruth Messinger, of the American Jewish World Service, also prayed,

“We commit ourselves and our faith communities to ensure the rights of every person, especially the poorest and those that go hungry in our midst. Until all can eat, none of us are free. Until all can eat, we are all complicit.”

Throughout the night, speakers including Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw (National Baptist Convention), The Most Rev. Richard E. Pates (Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa), Rev. David Beckmann (Bread for the World), and Suzii Painter (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) spoke about Pope Francis’ Visit, the faith imperative to end hunger, commitments to ending hunger, and opportunities going forward.

By the end of the night, representatives from each table shared reflections and ideas on how to end hunger by 2030. Imam Mohamed Magid of All Dulles Area Muslim Society ended the night with a prayer that clarified the call for all faith leaders in the room to work together in our pursuit of justice for all.

Participants in the room committed to signing the Religious Leaders’ Pledge to End Hunger.

The pledge states, “We gather in light of these important events to reflect from our own perspectives about hunger and poverty and to publicly commit ourselves — as leaders from across the religious spectrum — to help end hunger by 2030.”

The Interfaith Religious Leaders Summit was truly an expression of the shared commitment to justice and opportunity for people in need — and to discern future collective action. The ability of religious leaders from all over the country to convene and commit to work together for a common purpose shows hope for a future of interfaith communication and collaboration to make a better world, and an end to hunger, for future generations.

Later this week, the Pope will speak to the United States Congress and leaders from around the world at the United Nations. Pope Francis has often brought moral authority to the issues of exclusion, poverty, climate, and migration. As we welcome him to our country today, faith leaders across the country join with him in his call to pray and work to end hunger and poverty.