Pope Francis urged entrepreneurs to “transform the face of the economy” so that it follows ethical principles in a speech delivered at the Vatican in mid-October.
This restructuring should result in an economy whose “activity is in service of the human being, not only the few, but all, especially the poor,” he said.
The focus of entrepreneurial work should be not only on creating avenues for the flourishing of all people but also on the environment by avoiding additional pollution and establishing “pathways for recovery.”
The pope referenced the Hebrew prophet Amos who denounced the “notorious economic and social imbalances” of his day. Such prophetic witness is essential today, the pope said, because “without prophecy, the economy, and in general all human action, is blind.”
Entrepreneurs must strive for the common good of all not simply the good of the individual, Pope Francis emphasized, urging them to strive for an economic system “that reconciles all the members of the various phases of production with each other, without mutual contempt, without creating greater injustice or cold indifference.”
A transcript of the full speech is available here.
Managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media.
