Pope Leo XIV Warns of "opioid addiction" - "abuse of vulnerable migrants" and Exploitation of "poor countries" at Popular Movements Meeting
ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORLD MEETING OF
POPULAR MOVEMENTS
in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Thursday, October 23, 2025
_____________________________
Dear brothers and sisters ,
This is the first time I have had the joy of meeting you, continuing on the path begun by Pope Francis , who, in recent years, has often engaged in dialogue with your community, highlighting its prophetic importance in a world marked by various challenges.
One of the reasons I chose the name "Leo XIV" is the encyclical Rerum Novarum , written by Leo XIII during the Industrial Revolution. The title Rerum Novarum means "new things." There are certainly "new things" in the world, but when we say this, we typically adopt a "centered view" and refer to things like artificial intelligence or robotics. However, today I would like to look at the "new things" with you, starting from the periphery.
Seeing “new things” from the outskirts
More than ten years ago, here in the Vatican, Pope Francis told you that you had come to plant a flag. What did it say? “Land, home, and work.” [1] “Land, home, and work,” as Guadalupe told us a moment ago. It was a “new thing” for the Church, and it was a good thing! Echoing Francis's pleas, today I say: land, home, and work are sacred rights, worth fighting for, and I want you to hear me say, “I'm in!”, “I'm with you!”
Is demanding land, housing, and jobs for the excluded a "new thing"? From the perspective of global power centers, certainly not; those with financial security and a comfortable home might consider these demands somewhat outdated. The truly "new" things seem to be autonomous vehicles, trendy items or clothing, high-end cell phones, cryptocurrencies, and the like.
From the peripheries, however, things look different; the banner you're waving is so timely that it deserves an entire chapter in Christian social thought on the excluded in today's world.
This is the perspective I wish to convey: the new things seen from the peripheries and your commitment that is not limited to protest, but seeks solutions. The peripheries often cry out for justice, and you cry out not "out of desperation," but "out of desire": yours is a cry to seek solutions in a society dominated by unjust systems. And you do not do it with microprocessors or biotechnology, but from the most basic level, with the beauty of craftsmanship. And this is poetry: you are "social poets." [2]
Today you once again carry the banner of land, home, and work, walking together from a social center— Spin Time —to the Vatican. This walking together testifies to the vitality of grassroots movements as builders of solidarity in diversity. The Church must be with you: a poor Church for the poor, a Church that reaches out, a Church that takes risks, a courageous, prophetic, and joyful Church!
What I consider most important is that your service be inspired by love. I know of similar situations and experiences in other countries, true community spaces filled with faith, hope, and above all love, which remains the greatest virtue of all (cf. 1 Cor 13:13). Indeed, when cooperatives and work groups are formed to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, assist the shipwrecked, care for children, create jobs, access land, and build homes, we must remember that we are not promoting ideology, but are truly living the Gospel.
At the heart of the Gospel, in fact, is the commandment of love, and Jesus told us that his own face is hidden in the faces and wounds of the poor (cf. Mt 25:34-40). It is beautiful to see that popular movements, even before the demand for justice, are moved by the desire for love, against all individualism and prejudice.
As Bishop of Peru, I am happy to have experienced a Church that accompanies people in their sorrows, their joys, their struggles and their hopes. This is an antidote to a spreading structural indifference that fails to take seriously the tragedy of peoples dispossessed, robbed, plundered and forced into poverty. We often feel powerless in the face of all this, yet we must begin to counter this "globalization of powerlessness" with a "culture of reconciliation and commitment." [3] Popular movements fill this void created by the lack of love with the great miracle of solidarity, founded on care for others and on reconciliation.
As I said, the normal discourse on “new things” – with their potential and their dangers – omits what is happening on the periphery. From the center there is little awareness of the problems affecting the excluded, and when they are mentioned in political and economic discussions, one gets the impression that they are “an issue added almost out of duty or tangentially, if not simply treated as collateral damage. Indeed, in the end, they often remain at the bottom of the list of priorities.” [4] On the contrary, the poor are at the center of the Gospel. Therefore, marginalized communities should be involved in a collective and solidarity-based commitment aimed at reversing the dehumanizing trend of social injustices and promoting integral human development.
Indeed, "until the problems of the poor are resolved radically, by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by addressing the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found to the world's problems, or rather, to any problem at all. Inequality is the root of social ills." [5]
Old injustices in the new world
Your commitment becomes all the more necessary in a world which, as we know, is increasingly globalized; as Benedict XVI stated , "the processes of globalization, if properly understood and oriented, open up unprecedented possibilities for the large-scale redistribution of wealth on a global level; but if they are poorly oriented, they can lead to an increase in poverty and inequalities and could even trigger a global crisis." [6]
This means that the dynamics of progress must always be managed through an ethic of responsibility, overcoming the risk of the idolatry of profit and always placing man and his integral development at the centre. The "human" is at the centre of St. Augustine's vision of an ethic of responsibility. He teaches us how responsibility, especially towards the poor and those in material need, arises from being human with our fellow men and, therefore, from the recognition of our "common humanity". [7]
Since we all share the same humanity, we must ensure that "new things" are appropriately managed. This issue should not remain in the hands of political, scientific, or academic elites, but should instead concern all of us. The creativity with which God has endowed human beings, which has generated great progress in many areas, has not yet been able to effectively address the challenges of poverty and, therefore, has failed to reverse the dramatic exclusion of millions of people who remain marginalized. This is a central point in the debate on "new things."
When my predecessor Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum at the end of the 19th century, he focused not on industrial technology or new sources of energy, but rather on the plight of workers. This is where the evangelical force of his message lies: the primary focus was on the plight of the poor and oppressed of his time. And, for the first time and with absolute clarity, a Pope said that the daily struggles for survival and for social justice were of fundamental importance to the Church. Leo XIII denounced the subjugation of the majority to the power "of the few; so that a small number of very rich men have been able to impose on the teeming masses of poor workers a yoke little better than slavery itself." [8] This was the great inequality of the age.
In Leo XIII 's Encyclical, we don't find the words "unemployment" or "exclusion," because at the time the issues were more concerned with improving workers' conditions, exploitation, and the urgent need for a new social harmony and political balance—goals that were gradually achieved thanks to numerous labor laws and social security institutions. Today, however, exclusion is the new face of social injustice. The gap between a "small minority"—1% of the population—and the vast majority has widened dramatically.
This exclusion is a "novelty" that Pope Francis has denounced as a "throwaway culture", stating vehemently: "The excluded are not 'exploited', but marginalized, 'discarded'". [9]
When we talk about exclusion, we also face a paradox. The lack of land, food, housing, and decent work coexists with access to new technologies spreading everywhere through globalized markets. Mobile phones, social networks , and even artificial intelligence are within the reach of millions of people, including the poor. Yet, while more and more people have access to the internet, basic needs remain unmet. Let us ensure that, while more sophisticated needs are met, fundamental ones are not neglected.
This systemic arbitrariness deprives people of what is necessary and submerges them in what is unnecessary. In short, mismanagement generates and increases inequalities under the guise of progress. And by failing to place human dignity at its core, the system also fails to deliver justice.
The impact of “news” on the excluded
Today I won't exhaustively describe the "innovations" produced specifically by technological development centers, but we know that they impact all major areas of social life: healthcare, education, employment, transportation, urbanization, communications, security, defense, etc. Many of these impacts are ambivalent: they are positive for some countries and social sectors, but others suffer "collateral damage." Once again, this is the result of the mismanagement of technological progress.
The climate crisis is perhaps the most obvious example. We see it in every extreme weather event, be it floods, droughts, tsunamis, or earthquakes: who suffers the most? It's always the poorest. They lose what little they have when water washes away their homes and are often forced to abandon them without adequate alternatives to resume their lives. The same thing happens when, for example, farmers, peasants, and indigenous peoples lose their lands, their cultural identity, and sustainable local production due to the desertification of their territory.
Another aspect of the "new" that particularly affects the marginalized has to do with the anxieties and hopes of the poorest in relation to the lifestyle models constantly promoted today. For example, how can a poor young person live with hope and without anxiety when social media constantly extols unbridled consumption and totally unattainable economic success?
And yet another significant problem is the spread of digital gambling addiction. The platforms are designed to create compulsive dependence and generate addictive habits.
I also don't want to ignore the "novelty" of the pharmaceutical industry, which certainly represents great progress in some ways, but is not without its ambiguities. In today's culture, aided by certain advertising campaigns, a sort of cult of physical well-being is promoted, almost an idolatry of the body. In this vision, the mystery of pain is interpreted reductively. This can also lead to addiction to painkillers, whose sale obviously increases the profits of the manufacturers themselves. This has also led to opioid addiction, which is devastating the United States in particular; consider, for example, fentanyl, the drug of death, the second leading cause of death among the poor in that country. The proliferation of new, increasingly lethal synthetic drugs is not just a crime committed by drug traffickers, but is a reality inherent in the production and profiteering of drugs, devoid of any global ethics.
I would also like to emphasize that the development of new information and telecommunications technologies depends on minerals often found underground in poor countries. Without coltan from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, many of the technological devices we use today would not exist. However, its extraction depends on paramilitary violence, child labor, and population displacement. Lithium is another example: competition between major powers and large corporations for its extraction poses a serious threat to the sovereignty and stability of poor countries, to the point that some businessmen and politicians boast of promoting coups and other forms of political destabilization precisely to gain their hands on the "white gold" of lithium.
And finally, I would like to touch on the issue of security. States have the right and duty to protect their borders, but this should be balanced with the moral obligation to provide refuge. With the abuse of vulnerable migrants, we are not witnessing the legitimate exercise of national sovereignty, but rather serious crimes committed or tolerated by the state. Increasingly inhumane measures—even politically celebrated—are being adopted to treat these "undesirables" as if they were trash and not human. Christianity, on the other hand, refers to the God of love, who makes us all brothers and sisters and asks us to live as brothers and sisters.
At the same time, I'm encouraged to see how grassroots movements, civil society organizations, and the Church are addressing these new forms of dehumanization, constantly testifying that those in need are our neighbors, our brothers and sisters. This makes you champions of humanity, witnesses of justice, poets of solidarity.
The just struggle of popular movements
In Rerum Novarum , Leo XIII observed that "the ancient workers' guilds were abolished in the last century, and no other protective organization has taken their place." [10] The poor have become more vulnerable and less protected. Something similar is happening today, because the trade unions typical of the twentieth century now represent an ever smaller percentage of workers and social security systems are in crisis in many countries; therefore, neither unions nor employers' associations, nor states nor international organizations seem capable of addressing these problems. But "a state without justice is no state," St. Augustine reminds us. [11] Justice requires that the institutions of every state be at the service of every social class and all its residents, harmonizing their different needs and interests.
Once again, we find ourselves faced with an ethical vacuum, into which evil easily enters. A parable comes to mind, the parable of the unclean spirit who is cast out but, returning, finds his former home clean and orderly, and then mounts an even worse battle (cf. Mt 12:43-45). In an orderly void, the evil spirit is free to operate. The social institutions of the past were not perfect, but by sweeping away much of them and adorning what remains with ineffective laws and unenforced treaties, the system makes human beings more vulnerable than before.
Therefore, popular movements, together with people of good will, Christians, believers, governments are urgently called to fill that void, initiating processes of justice and solidarity that spread throughout society, because, as I have already had occasion to affirm, "illusions distract us, preparations guide us. Illusions seek a result, preparations make an encounter possible." [12]
In the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te I wanted to recall that "various popular movements, composed of lay people and led by popular leaders, [...] have often been regarded with suspicion and even persecuted." [13] Yet your struggles under the banner of land, housing and work for a better world deserve encouragement. And just as the Church accompanied the formation of trade unions in the past, today we must accompany popular movements. This means accompanying humanity, walking together in shared respect for human dignity and in the common desire for justice, love and peace.
The Church supports your just struggles for land, housing, and work. Like my predecessor Francis , I believe that the right paths begin from the bottom and the periphery toward the center. Your many creative initiatives can be transformed into new public policies and social rights. Yours is a legitimate and necessary quest. Who knows if the seeds of love that you sow, small as mustard seeds (cf. Mt 13:31-32; Mk 4:30-32; Lk 13:18-19), will be able to grow into a more humane world for all and help us better manage "new things."
The Church and I wish to be close to you on this journey. We continue to raise our prayers to Almighty God. With you, in prayer, we implore the Father of all mercies to protect you and fill you with his inexhaustible love. May He, in his infinite goodness, grant you the courage of evangelical prophecy, perseverance in the struggle, hope in your heart, and poetic creativity. I entrust you to the maternal guidance of Mary Most Holy. And from the depths of my heart I bless you.
Thank you, thank you all! And keep going on the journey, with joy and hope! Thank you. Entonces oremos juntos como Jesús nos ha enseñado.
[Recitation of the Our Father in Spanish. Blessing.]
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[1] “ Tierra, techo, trabajo ”, the three “Ts” in Spanish.
[2] Francis, Video Message , October 16, 2021.
[3] Video message on the occasion of the presentation in Lampedusa of the candidacy of the project “Gestures of hospitality” to the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage , 12 September 2025.
[4] Francis, Encyclical Letter Laudato si' , 49.
[5] Id., Exhortation. ap. Evangelii gaudium , 202.
[6] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter. Caritas in veritate , 42.
[7] Cf. Augustine, Discourse 259, 3.
[8] Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter. Rerum novarum , 3.
[9] Francis, Exhortation. ap. Evangelii gaudium , 53.
[10] Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter. Rerum novarum , 3.
[11] Augustine, De civitate Dei , XIX, 21, 1.
[12] Leo XIV, General Audience , 6 August 2025.
[13] Leo XIV, Exhortation. ap. Dilexi te , 80.
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