Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) –
"Do not forget the poor", writes Pope Francis to the
founder and executive president of the World Economic Forum, Klaus
Schwab, in the message he sent tot he annual meeting of the forum
that opened yesterday in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on the theme "
Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution". In the text, which
was consigned by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of
the Pontifical Council "Justice and Peace", the Pope
emphasises that this "revolution" has been accompanied by
unemployment affecting millions of people, and expresses his hope
that the development of advanced technologies may lead to the
creation of dignified work for all, the consolidation of economic
rights and the defence of the environment.
The Holy Father also warns against the
danger that a culture of prosperity numbs people, rendering them
insensitive to the problems of others, and reiterates that business
activity is a noble vocation directed towards the production of
wealth and the improvement of the world for all, when it is
understood as a service to the common good. He concludes by
expressing his hope that the World Economic Forum may be a platform
for the defence and protection of creation, as well as for the
achievement of a "healthier, more human, more social, more
integral" progress.
Pope Francis begins by offering to
Klaus Schwab his good wishes "for the fruitfulness of this
meeting, which seeks to encourage continuing social and environmental
responsibility through a constructive dialogue on the part of
government, business and civic leaders, as well as distinguished
representatives of the political, financial and cultural sectors".
"The dawn of the so-called 'fourth
industrial revolution' has been accompanied by a growing sense of the
inevitability of a drastic reduction in the number of jobs. The
latest studies conducted by the International Labour Organisation
indicate that unemployment presently affects hundreds of millions of
people. The financialisation and technologisation of national and
global economies have produced far-reaching changes in the field of
labour. Diminished opportunities for useful and dignified employment,
combined with a reduction in social security, are causing a
disturbing rise in inequality and poverty in different countries.
Clearly there is a need to create new models of doing business which,
while promoting the development of advanced technologies, are also
capable of using them to create dignified work for all, to uphold and
consolidate social rights, and to protect the environment. Man must
guide technological development, without letting himself be dominated
by it".
"To all of you I appeal once more:
'Do not forget the poor!' This is the primary challenge before you as
leaders in the business world. Those who have the means to enjoy a
decent life, rather than being concerned with privileges, must seek
to help those poorer than themselves to attain dignified living
conditions, particularly through the development of their human,
cultural, economic and social potential. We must never allow the
culture of prosperity to deaden us, to make us incapable of feeling
compassion at the outcry of the poor, weeping for other people’s
pain, and sensing the need to help them, as though all this were
someone else’s responsibility and not our own. Weeping for other
people’s pain does not only mean sharing in their sufferings, but
also and above all realising that our own actions are a cause of
injustice and inequality. Let us open our eyes, then, and see the
misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are
denied their dignity, and let us recognise that we are compelled to
heed their cry for help. May we reach out to them and support them so
they can feel the warmth of our presence, our friendship, and our
fraternity. May their cry become our own, and together may we break
down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and
mask our hypocrisy and egoism".
Once we realise this, he continues, "we
become more fully human, since responsibility for our brothers and
sisters is an essential part of our common humanity. Do not be afraid
to open your minds and hearts to the poor. In this way, you will give
free rein to your economic and technical talents, and discover the
happiness of a full life, which consumerism of itself cannot provide.
In the face of profound and epochal changes, world leaders are
challenged to ensure that the coming 'fourth industrial revolution',
the result of robotics and scientific and technological innovations,
does not lead to the destruction of the human person – to be
replaced by a soulless machine – or to the transformation of our
planet into an empty garden for the enjoyment of a chosen few. On the
contrary, the present moment offers a precious opportunity to guide
and govern the processes now under way, and to build inclusive
societies based on respect for human dignity, tolerance, compassion
and mercy. I urge you, then, to take up anew your conversation on how
to build the future of the planet, 'our common home', and I ask you
to make a united effort to pursue a sustainable and integral
development".
"As I have often said, and now
willingly reiterate, business is a noble vocation, directed to
producing wealth and improving our world, especially if it sees the
creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common
good. As such, it has a responsibility to help overcome the complex
crisis of society and the environment, and to fight poverty. This
will make it possible to improve the precarious living conditions of
millions of people and bridge the social gap which gives rise to
numerous injustices and erodes fundamental values of society,
including equality, justice and solidarity".
"In this way, through the
preferred means of dialogue, the World Economic Forum can become a
platform for the defence and protection of creation and for the
achievement of a progress which is healthier, more human, more
social, more integral with due regard also for environmental goals
and the need to maximise efforts to eradicate poverty as set forth in
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and in the Paris
Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change".
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