Brazil’s Lula da Silva Engages with Pope Leo XIV on Global Inequality
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil and First Lady Janja da Silva met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday to discuss religious issues and the current challenges facing Brazil. During the meeting, Lula urged the Pope to join him in launching a “broad movement of indignation against inequality” worldwide, reports 24brussels.
Lula commended the Pope on his recent Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, which emphasizes the importance of intertwining faith and compassion for the impoverished. The audience included notable figures such as Ministers Mauro Vieira (Foreign Affairs), Wellington Dias (Development and Social Assistance), Paulo Teixeira (Agrarian Development), and Senator Ana Paula Lobato.
The Brazilian leader invited the Pope to participate in the COP 30 climate conference scheduled for next month in Belém, although US-born Robert Prevost declined due to prior commitments related to the 2025 Jubilee, assuring that the Vatican would still be represented at the event.
Lula highlighted Brazil’s achievements, noting that the country had been removed from the Hunger Map for the second time and is actively engaging in the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty on a global scale. Afterwards, Lula expressed his delight that the Pope “intends to visit Brazil at the appropriate time,” emphasizing the warm welcome awaiting him from the Brazilian people.
In addition to his Vatican visit, Lula’s itinerary in Rome includes attendance at the World Food Forum 2025, which is being held at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to mark the agency’s 80th anniversary. The event will also host Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi, who is set to meet with Pope Leo XIV later this week.
