In his message for the opening of the event “Prepare the Future: Build a Sustainable, Inclusive and Regenerative Economy,” Pope Francis called to “mark the difference” and expressed the hope that all will accept the responsibility to prepare a different future. The event, which was held in the Lateran Palace on January 12, was promoted by the Vatican COVID-19 Commission of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development and the Deloitte Network.

New Injustices

 According to “Vatican News,” the Holy Father appealed to prepare the future, based on the combination of the best science available, with the realism of the Gospel, and in solidarity with the marginalized. And he stressed that we won’t come out the same from this crisis. We will come out better or worse, and what happens will depend on our commitment.

“Lamentably, two years after the start of the pandemic, we must admit that we’ve lost many opportunities to change our focus. We are perpetrating new injustices and inequalities. The care of our common home, the distribution of vaccines, the increase of hunger, poverty, and the arms trade continue being priorities and challenges for all. The world of the economy and finance has the important responsibility to promote a change of paradigm and to help find creative solutions,” reads the text.

New Commitments

 For Pope Francis, it continues to be necessary to be able to assume concrete commitments, having as criteria of success not profits, expansion, and short-term gains, but the number of people that come out of extreme poverty. Hence, he asks: “Is it so difficult to guarantee the conditions so that all help to transform the world with their work?”

At the end of his message, the Bishop of Rome encouraged the participants to “mark the difference” and expressed the hope that all will accept the responsibility to prepare a different future.

Translation by Virginia M. Forrester