Pope Francis received members of the Latin American Council of Entrepreneurs and urged entrepreneurs to find hope and direction for their businesses in the Gospel.
(Vatican News Network)Pope Francis received the participants of the Latin American Business Council’s annual general meeting in the Vatican on June 1. The Pope urged them: “Work must be based on a culture of encounter that encourages people to seek the common good.”
The Holy Father urges entrepreneurs to “weave webs” based on hope, guided by the Gospel. Considering that the theme of the Council’s annual general meeting involves global problems such as migration flows, climate change, and integral human development, the Pope said: “Your exchange of ideas can help to work together to deal with the common problems of the entire human family today. .”
A corporate model inspired by a culture of encounter that removes any shadows from the workplace, including the enslavement of labor by an excessive pursuit of profit. The culture of encounter, the Pope noted, “expresses the pursuit of the common good and thus contributes to the removal of the gloom”.
The culture of Encounter respects others, and its values are embodied every day in countless sacrifices and efforts that help others grow. To this end, the Pope enjoins Latin American entrepreneurs to provide on-the-job training and education for their workers in order to “avoid conflict and the pain of unemployment”, because each worker represents a family and a real economic need.
Next, the Pope invited entrepreneurs to look at the first disciples called by Jesus: they were fishermen who knew how to weave nets, and were called to be “fishermen of fishermen” (cf. Mt 4:18-22). Entrepreneurs today can learn a lot from this. “The service you perform is not abstract, but directly related to people,” said the Pope.
The council chose Rome to hold its annual assembly, and the pope pointed out the significance of it, saying: “Here is the tomb of the Apostle Peter, an expert in weaving and repairing fishing nets. Here are also countless Lords of all ages. The footsteps of followers who, with their daily witness and inspired by the grace of God, transformed their circumstances in life according to the light of the Gospel. May these examples also help you to be renewed within you so that you can move forward step forward.”
The Pope concluded by wishing the Christian entrepreneurs present to use the Gospel as their “compass”. “In this way, we can sail correctly, trusting that God will lead us and accompany us on our journey.”
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