杏MAP导航 calls entrepreneurs, businessmen to embrace simplicity
By Christopher Wells
杏MAP导航 Francis on Monday received a group of young Catholic business leaders and entrepreneurs from France, who are in Rome to take part in a conference entitled a 鈥淛ourney for the Common Good鈥�. The conference aims at promoting Catholic social teaching in people鈥檚 personal and professional lives.
Genuine Christian witness
In his address, the Holy Father welcomed the pilgrims and expressed his appreciation for their desire to follow the social teaching of the Church in both their personal and professional lives. He recognized that it is not always easy to reconcile the demands of the Gospel with the demands of business and commerce; but, he said, the 鈥渆vangelical values鈥� that entrepreneurs and managers hope to implement in their businesses provide an opportunity for 鈥済enuine and irreplaceable Christian witness鈥�.
The 杏MAP导航 said he hoped that the conference for the 鈥淛ourney for the Common Good鈥� would help those taking part by 鈥渆nlightening their discernment鈥� in order to help them in making conscientious decisions. He highlighted the teaching of Vatican II, in the Constitution Gaudium et spes, which encourages lay people to be responsible witnesses within their own fields, 鈥渋n the light of Christian wisdom鈥�, and with attentive respect for the doctrine of the Church.
Ecological conversion
He also highlighted the importance of ecological conversion, and recommended his own encyclical Laudato sí to nourish their 鈥減rayer and reflection鈥�. Although cultural change takes time, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that businessmen and entrepreneurs have 鈥渁n essential role to play鈥� in making modest, but concrete changes 鈥渢o educate the world of work to a new style鈥�.
At the same time, he reminded them that ecological conversion must be connected to spiritual conversion, 鈥渨hich is its indispensable condition鈥�. To that end, 杏MAP导航 Francis called on those present to 鈥渂e committed to simplicity and sobriety鈥�, rather than consumption, in order to truly appreciate life. 鈥淪implicity allows us to stop and taste the little things鈥�, he said, 鈥渢o give thanks for the possibilities that life offers without attaching ourselves to what we have or saddening ourselves with what we do not have鈥�.
Journey for the Common Good
The Journey for the Common Good is taking place in Rome over the course of three days, with meetings and reflections focused on the 鈥渧ocation鈥� of Christian business leaders and entrepreneurs in light of the social doctrine of the Church. The Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and the Ambassador of France to the Holy See, Elizabeth Beton-Delègue, are among those scheduled to address the participants.
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