Pope Francis encourages young economists to learn from the poor

In a video message on Saturday, Pope Francis encouraged young economists and entrepreneurs from around the world to bring Jesus to their cities and work not only for the poor, but with the poor.

Addressing the participants in the online event of Economics of Francis, the Pope said on November 21 that changing the world is much more than "social assistance" or "welfare": "we are talking about a conversion and transformation of our priorities and of the place of others in our politics and the social order. "

“So let's not think for [the poor], but with them. We learn from them how to propose economic models for the benefit of all… ”he said.

He told young adults that it is not enough to meet the essential needs of their brothers and sisters. "We must structurally accept that the poor have sufficient dignity to sit in our meetings, participate in our discussions and bring bread to their tables," he said.

The Economy of Francesco, sponsored by the Vatican Dicastery for the service of integral development, was a virtual event from 19 to 21 November which aimed to train 2.000 young economists and entrepreneurs from all over the world to "build a more just, fraternal, inclusive and sustainable today and in the future. "

To do this, Pope Francis said in his video message, “he asks more than empty words: 'the poor' and 'the excluded' are real people. Instead of seeing them from a purely technical or functional point of view, it is time to let them become protagonists in one's own life and in the fabric of society as a whole. We don't think for them, but with them “.

Noting the unpredictability of the future, the pope urged young adults to "not be afraid to get involved and touch the soul of your cities with the gaze of Jesus".

“Do not be afraid to enter conflicts and crossroads of history with courage to anoint them with the perfume of the Beatitudes”, he continued. "Don't be afraid, because nobody saves himself alone."

They can do a lot in their local communities, he said, warning them not to look for shortcuts. “No shortcuts! Be yeast! Roll up your sleeves! " he pointed out.

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Francis said: "Once the current health crisis has been overcome, the worst reaction would be to fall even deeper into feverish consumerism and forms of selfish self-protection."

“Remember”, he continued, “you never get out of a crisis unscathed: either you end up better or worse. Let us favor the good, let us value this moment and put ourselves at the service of the common good. God grant that eventually there will be no more "others", but we adopt a lifestyle in which we can only talk about "us". Of a great "we". Not of a petty "we" and then of "others". That's no good ".

Quoting Saint Pope Paul VI, Francis said that “development cannot be limited to economic growth alone. To be authentic, it must be well-rounded; it must favor the development of each person and of the whole person… We cannot allow the economy to be separated from human realities, nor development from the civilization in which it takes place. What matters to us is man, every single man and woman, every human group and humanity as a whole “.

The Pope defined the future as "an exciting moment that calls us to recognize the urgency and beauty of the challenges that await us".

"A time that reminds us that we are not condemned to economic models whose immediate interest is limited to profit and the promotion of favorable public policies, indifferent to their human, social and environmental cost", he said