杏MAP导航

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

杏MAP导航 Francis on Monday received in audience in the Vatican participants at the Confindustria public assembly.

In his prepared remarks to members of the General Confederation of Italian Industry, the Holy Father called entrepreneurs 鈥渁n essential component in building the common good,鈥� which is 鈥渁 primary engine of development and prosperity.鈥�

The good entrepreneur amid difficult times

杏MAP导航 Francis highlighted that these are difficult times for everyone, including the business world. He noted that the pandemic put a strain on many productive activities, hurting the economic system. More so, the war in Ukraine and the energy crises has further exacerbated the situation to boot.

In these crises, the good entrepreneur, who feels the uncertainties and risks, also suffers, said the 杏MAP导航, distinguishing between entrepreneurs similar to the Good Shepherd and 鈥渕ercenary鈥� entrepreneurs.

Like the good shepherd, the good entrepreneur feels the sufferings of his workers and does not flee before the many wolves circling around, said the 杏MAP导航, recalling the death of Alberto Balocco, who was esteemed by the business and civic community.

Labour and commerce in the Bible

The 杏MAP导航 further noted that the Church, from the very beginning, has 鈥渨elcomed into its bosom merchants, forerunners of modern entrepreneurs鈥� and the Bible speaks of labour and commerce in some parables (including the lost coin, the landowner, the steward and the precious pearls).

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, for example, the 鈥渢wo denarii鈥� offered to the innkeeper is very important, said the 杏MAP导航 鈥� so also is important, the money Judas was offered to betray Jesus.

In fact, 鈥渢he same money can be used, yesterday as today, to betray and sell a friend or to save a victim,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, noting that the denarii of Judas and the denarii of the Good Samaritan coexist in the same markets, in the same stock exchanges, in the same marketplaces, but the economy 鈥済rows and becomes humane when the Samaritan's denarii become more numerous than those of Judas鈥�.

The Holy Father also acknowledged that the life of entrepreneurs in the Church has not always been easy, pointing at Jesus words about the rich, the camel and the eye of a needle (Mt 19: 23 -24). He said that this has sometimes been too quickly extended to every entrepreneur and merchant.

Sharing

Reflecting on the conditions for an entrepreneur to enter into Heaven, the Holy Father underlined the importance of sharing.

He said that wealth, while it can help a great deal in life on the one hand, can also complicate life on the other hand, because it can become an idol and a ruthless master who 鈥渢akes all of one鈥檚 life day after day鈥�.

Wealth calls for responsibility said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淥nce I own wealth, on me lies the responsibility to make it bear fruit, not to dissipate it, to use it for the common good.鈥� However, wealth also creates envy, backbiting, and perhaps violence and wickedness.

The Holy Father then held up the example of wealthy people who were part of Jesus鈥檚 first community, including Joseph of Arimathea, the women who supported the Apostles with their possessions and Zacchaeus of Jericho 鈥� noting that there have always been wealthy people who have followed the Gospel in an exemplary way.

鈥淪haring is another name for evangelical poverty鈥� he added, highlighting the great economic image of common sharing of goods narrated in the Acts of the Apostles.

Philanthropy, taxes and levies

杏MAP导航 Francis said that every entrepreneur has to find his own from the different forms of living the evangelical spirit of sharing, according to one's own personality and creativity.

One form is philanthropy 鈥� giving to the community in different ways, he said, acknowledging the gestures of support for the Ukrainian people. Another way, he added, is taxes and levies 鈥� 鈥渁 form of sharing that is often not understood.鈥�

He said the 鈥渇iscal pact is at the heart of the social pact鈥� explaining that taxes are 鈥渁 form of sharing wealth so that it becomes common goods, public goods: schools, health, rights, care, science, culture, heritage.鈥�

However, 杏MAP导航 Francis cautioned, 鈥渢axes must be fair, equitable, set according to each person's ability to pay, as the Italian Constitution states鈥�, and 鈥渢he fiscal system and administration must be efficient and not corrupt.鈥�

Job creation, support for families

鈥淎nother way of sharing is Job creation, jobs for all, especially for young people,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 pointed out, noting that young people are needed because businesses without them lose innovation, energy and enthusiasm.

He added that work has always been a form of communion of wealth because 鈥渂y hiring people you are already distributing your assets, you are already creating shared wealth.鈥� Thus every 鈥渘ew job created is a slice of dynamically shared wealth鈥� and 鈥渢herein also lies the centrality of work in the economy and its great dignity.鈥�

However, the labor problem cannot be solved if it remains within the confines of the labor market, he stressed, saying that it is a model of social order that needs to be challenged. In this regard, the 杏MAP导航 pointed at the declining birth rate, which, coupled with the rapid aging of the population, is leading to a decrease in the supply of workers and an increase in pension spending.

鈥淭here is an urgent need to support families and the birth rate in practice,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis stressed.

The Holy Father also highlighted the positive role that businesses play in the reality of immigration by 鈥渇ostering constructive integration and enhancing skills that are indispensable for the survival of the business in our current context.鈥� However, he warned against all forms of exploitation of people and the neglect of their safety.

The example of Adriano Olivetti

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to remind entrepreneurs that they too are workers. He urged them not to lose contact with work, forgetting the 鈥渟mell鈥� of work and being out of touch with the life of their enterprises.

He noted that creating work generates some equality in enterprises and in society, and added, even though there is a hierarchy in business, with different functions, 鈥渟alaries should not be too different.鈥�

鈥淚f the gap between the highest and lowest salaries becomes too wide, the business community becomes sick, and soon the society becomes sick,鈥� he said.

The 杏MAP导航 upheld the example of Adriano Olivetti who set a limit on the gap between the highest and lowest salaries because he knew that it could lead to a loss of common destiny in business and that community, empathy and solidarity will not be created among all.

Concluding, the 杏MAP导航 underlined that the challenges of our society cannot be met without good entrepreneurs and urged the participants at the assembly to be protagonists of a change of epoch, bringing about a different economic system through their creativity and innovation.