WORK IS INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO HUMAN DIGNITY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 1, 2003 (VIS) - The Pope today received 350 leaders of Olivetti Tecnost, recalling his trip to their offices in Ivrea in 1990 and noting that they "represent one of the industrial groups most involved in the current phase of reorganization and re-launching of the productive sectors of the Italian economy."

The Pope said that at this current time in history, marked by "contradictions and problems" but also by "innovative stimuli," it is "of fundamental importance to remember the strict bond that exists between work and the dignity of the person. ... It is a privileged occasion to reaffirm the centrality of man in the difference stages of planning, production, selling and the use of consumer goods."

The Holy Father spoke of the founder, Adriano Olivetti, "an esteemed entrepreneur who felt that work was a singular opportunity for human growth for everyone" as well as "a favorable occasion to create relationships of collaboration and solidarity among persons." He added that efforts to develop a business and to create new jobs will be "all the more efficacious when they are inspired by the ethical, cultural and religious principles of work."

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